Self-employed single mother Julie Squires, 50, created the character in order to illegally obtain housing benefit from 2002 to last year. Squires, whose son is a trainee police officer, was handed a 10-month jail term suspended for two years at a Leeds hearing.
The court heard Squires created false tenancy documents showing the character was the landlord of her home in Dewsbury’s Princess Street.
Squires, also given 150 hours unpaid work and a six-month supervision order, pleaded guilty to six counts of making false representations to obtain benefit.
Howard Shaw, prosecuting, said Squires had made up a “complete lie” to conceal the real owner of the property was a friend who lived with her. The deception, involving a total of £30,200 in housing benefit, was revealed after a tip-off. Squires later admitted in interviews to inventing the landlord.
Kama Melly, mitigating, said Squires started the offences after separating from her husband. She was sorry and embarrassed by the shame it had brought on her family, especially her son.
- This is mitigation?
These people do it for the money. So hit them in the pocket. It was money that motivated them, and a financial penalty will help to deter them.
Benefit thieves should have to repay twice what they've stolen, and should not be eligible for any further benefits – including tax credits - until they have. A confiscation order should be automatic and immediate.
If you don't punish people who are convicted of an easy crime, the offence will continue to look attractive.
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