Benefit thieves across the land

Nicola Berbillion, from Tonyrefail, has admitted claiming a total of £20,224 in benefits she was not entitled to when she failed to declare that she was sharing a house with her partner. The judge jailed her for six months, but suspended it for two years as otherwise her partner would have had to give up his job to look after the children. She was given a community order with supervision for six months, and ordered to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £250 costs.

Another single person fraud. Elizabeth Smedley from Shirebrook claimed almost £12,400 in benefits as a single parent whilst failing to declare her employed partner had been living with her. She was given a 4 months suspended prison sentence, a Community Order to undertake 180 hours unpaid work over the next 12 months, a two month Curfew and ordered to pay £500 costs, also over the next 12 months.

A Longnor pensioner has been jailed for six months for claiming nearly £30,000 in benefits over a 13-year period while working as a company director.

Michael Lawrence, a drug baron who spent his dirty money on luxury holidays while fraudulently claiming thousands of pounds in benefits, has been sentenced to eight and a half years in jail. His girlfriend, Tracy Lucas, received a seven month sentence after being convicted of benefit fraud. As well as dealing cocaine and cannabis, they were also fraudulently claiming £60,000 of housing benefit from Hammersmith & Fulham Council.