A mum was given a suspended sentence after claiming £37,000 in benefits she was not entitled to.

Donna Hesketh, 41, of Hinderton Road, Birkenhead, was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for two years, given an 18 month community order and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work at Liverpool Crown Court.

She was charged with four counts of dishonestly failing to give prompt notification of a change of circumstances.

Hesketh had claimed the £37,000 in income support, jobseekers allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit over a period of three years after failing to let the authorities know when a partner moved in with her.

The court heard Hesketh, who has two children aged 16 and 19, had suffered health problems since she had been arrested.

She is currently in employment but on sick leave.

Sentencing, Judge Stephen Clarke said: “The reason why it has affected your health badly is really because you are a decent person.

“The money itself has gone into the family, there is no suggestion it was used for fancy holidays or buying a car.”

Judge Clarke said he had noted the work Hesketh did with young people in the community and her “compassionate nature”.

He added: “But you knew what you were doing was wrong and you must appreciate in these very straitened times when benefits are under attack from all quarters what you did plays some small part in this.

“The whole procedure since you were first arrested has taken its toll upon your health.

“The claim wasn’t fraudulent from the outset and you are endeavouring to try and pay back as much as you possibly can for your dishonesty.”

Hesketh was given a concurrent sentence of four months imprisonment for each charges, each suspended for two years.


http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/...80491-32565549/

What a joke! Similar to the Margaret Moran fiasco. Both suddenly became ill when rumbled. What a shame. Both should have gone down. This woman STOLE roughly £240 a week for THREE YEARS!

stealing is stealing, she stole from the taxpayer not the goverment she is probably only sorry because she got caught, glad to hear she was found out. no sympathy at all .

Should have been straight to prison.

strange as it doesnt say she has to pay it back and with all the government cuts there will probably be an increase of people working on the side to make ends meet, iv never thought about it before but people who do "foreigners" out side of working hours dont pay tax on that money so could they also be arrested for stealing from the tax man?

Technically and morally yes. But, somehow a person avoiding paying the taxman from their earnings in the way you described doesnt seem as bad as someone physically having money OUT of the tax system booty bag, that the rest of us have already possibly scrimped to put IN . But - it is really the same and people who are caught not declaring earnings, ARE prosecuted ,albeit they probably only get a smacked hand.

thanks venice for explaining that, as i said its never crossed my mind before, you only hear about unemployed being caught or people registered self employed getting caught for non payment of taxes

What's someone living with her got to do with it?

So because she had someone living with her for 3 years and she didn't tell them she's been called a thief?

I don't get it.

“The claim wasn’t fraudulent from the outset and you are endeavouring to try and pay back as much as you possibly can for your dishonesty.”

Why is she a thief?
Either it was fraud or it wasn't?

This article doesn't make sence?

You either claim as a single parent or as a couple....she was obviously claiming to be a single parent whilst having a partner living with her who was probably working,......so yes she was a thief for not declaring him being there !!

I'm going to make a few guesses here based on what the article says, and the bits it misses out.

Her original claim was based on her declared circumstances, living alone, limited or no income etc, and from that she was given a certain amount of benefits either to supplement or replace her income.

At some point (3 years ago, but after the claim was originally made), somebody moved in with her, now this would have been a significant change in her circumstances, especially if the person who moved in was working, however she did not notify anyone of this and continued to receive the various benefits (if you're getting your rent/mortgage paid this can become a large amount of money very quickly).

I think the "thief" part is because she would have been charged under the Theft Act, for dishonestly obtaining the benefits (money) with the "Intention to Permanently Deprive" the department paying it of those funds.

Just my guess.

off topic but this is also whats worrying for people who are being told to take in a lodger to help with the bedroom tax, how will it work? and how many people will pretend their partners are just lodgers if it benefits them, it seems a very grey area!

Good point rocks !!

If she was put in prison, what chance will she have of paying any money back and possibly more benefits may have to be paid for her children and partner to live in the same home.
She'd have been better off doing this fraud and salting a few million away click

Two businessmen have been found guilty in London of defrauding banks of hundreds of millions of pounds to fund a lavish lifestyle and build a commercial property empire, in their second conviction for deception and forgery in 18 years.

she could always have got off her a**e and got a job ?