Posing in an elegant white gown and smiling for the camera, she looks every inch the perfect bride. Hazel Cunningham then posted the pictures of her Barbados wedding on her Facebook page so her friends could see her on the happiest day of her life.
But, unfortunately for her, investigators from the local council were also looking at her photos.
And they discovered that Cunningham, 47 – who said she was a single mother when she was in fact living with her husband – was fleecing the taxpayer of thousands of pounds in false benefits claims.
She wrongly claimed income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit at the same time as enjoying holidays in Turkey up to three times a year and a luxury Caribbean wedding.
Folkestone Magistrates’ Court in Kent heard she falsely claimed benefits amounting to an average of £170 a week.
Cunningham, of Ashford, Kent, also failed to notify the authorities of her maternity pay from her employer.
She was sentenced to 120 days in prison after pleading guilty to four charges of making false statements and one of failing to notify a change in circumstance.
And she was ordered to repay the money, a total of just under £15,000.
She was also prosecuted in 2009 for failing to declare that she was working while claiming a total of £21,000 in incapacity benefit, housing and council tax benefits.
Sentencing Cunningham, magistrates said: ‘You have had previous convictions, you have lied to the probation officer, you have denied your guilt until the last minute, and you have also lied in court.’
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