No jail for £23k benefits thief

A fraudster who falsely claimed she was a widow to claim more benefits has narrowly avoided a jail term.

Dorothy Olaniyi was busted following an investigation by Lambeth Council's benefit fraud team.

The 43-year-old from Brixton married in 2001, but failed to declare it when making benefit claims.

She received £23,000 in payments she was not entitled to by saying she was a widow and a single parent.

Olaniyi pleaded guilty to three charges, one of failing to declare a change in circumstances and two of dishonestly producing a false document.

She was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on April 16 to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

In addition she was given a community order for two years with an unpaid work requirement of 250 hours.