Smethwick benefits cheat altered papers to claim £17k
A benefits cheat who used doctored and false wage slips and bank statements to fraudulently claim more than £17,800 in housing and council tax benefit over six years, has been spared an immediate jail sentence.
Kate Agbonlahor from Smethwick was given 34 weeks in prison, suspended for two years after she systematically and professionally doctored documents to claim the funds. Agbonlahor pleaded guilty to 12 counts of benefit fraud between July 2006 and February 2012 at Wolverhampton Crown court yesterday.
Mr Mark Jackson prosecuting, told the court that the 43-year-old had arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 2005 and had been receiving housing and council tax benefit claiming she was working as a part time carer. In October 2006 she told the benefits agency she was a single parent and changing jobs, but still working as a carer on a part- time basis.
He said: "Officers at Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council found out from her employer, Broadening Choices for Older People she had in fact been employed on a full time basis since July 24 2006."
The court heard that Agbonlahor had supplied wage slips and Barclays bank statements to back up her claims, but upon analysis they were found to be false.
He said: "For example between October 16 2006 and March 5 2007 she actually worked on average 48 and half hours a week, taking home a net pay of £225 a week, what she declared, was actually considerably lower than this."
She was also asked to provide bank statements. The genuine bank statement found on average she would have around £1,000 in the account at the end of the month, whereas the bank statements provided would say on average it was £130.
Mr Jackson said: "You would never have known looking at the statements she had altered it, or that transactions had been deleted."
Mr Paul Hiatt defending, told the court that Agbonlahor had an acquaintance alter the documents she had submitted to the authorities. But the court heard she had not yet revealed who they were.
Agbonlahor of Waterloo Road was told to pay back the £17,801.88 she had falsely claimed and pay the £2355.20 in court costs. in addition to the suspended sentence she has to also complete 100 hours unpaid work, and be supervised for 12 months.
