A WARRINGTON man was given a 16-week jail sentence, suspended for two years, at the town’s Crown Court, after admitting two offences of benefit fraud.
Gerard Brogan, 46, of West Drive, Great Sankey, claimed benefit as a single person when in fact he was living with a partner.
The court was told Brogan falsely claimed £10,274 housing benefit, £2,969 council tax benefit and £7,934 in job seekers allowance from the borough council and the Department for Work and Pensions.
This amounted to a total £21,178 but Brogan only admitted obtaining £17,648.
In addition to the suspended prison sentence, he was ordered to do 160 hours unpaid work and pay back the full amount of £21,178.
After the hearing, Adrian Webster, the council’s benefits manager, said: “Deliberately withholding information that affects your claim is stealing. That’s why we are targeting benefit thieves. We’re closing in on benefit thieves with every means at our disposal.”
A WARRINGTON man was given a 16-week jail sentence, suspended for two
years, at the town’s Crown Court, after admitting two offences of
benefit fraud.
Suspended sentence for benefit cheat
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Former Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Patron Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
