Hove man jailed for £164k benefit fraud

A man from Hove has been jailed for 20 months and his wife given a 12-month sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to benefit fraud worth more than £160,000.

Marcus and Zoe Bradbrook illegally claimed:

• Housing Benefit from Brighton & Hove City Council worth £83,582
• Income Support worth £70,982
• Housing Benefit from Lewes District Council worth £9560 relating to an address in Newhaven.

The prosecution was brought jointly by the council and the Department for Work and Pensions, with the help of Sussex Police. The fraud came to light following an anonymous tip-off.

Between April 1999 and December 2010 Zoe Bradbrook, known at the time as Zoe Fitzgerald, claimed benefits as a lone parent with three children. In reality she was living with her partner Marcus Bradbrook, who was the father of her children and the owner of both the properties for which she claimed benefits.

Mr Bradbrook aided the offence by providing information that he resided at a different address to Zoe, producing and signing false tenancy agreements and receiving payments on her behalf.

Council investigators checked bank records, the Land Registry, birth and marriage records, household bills, and with the NHS and many other agencies to get the evidence they needed.

Zoe Bradbrook was also given a 200-hour community order with unpaid work requirement as part of her sentence.

She should have to serve a prison sentence once he gets out. And as they have property, presumably we will get our money back?