JAILED: £52,000 benefits fraudster locked up for nine months
A benefits fraudster has been jailed for illegally claiming more than £52,000 – nine years after she avoided a prison sentence for a similar offence.
Catherine Endean claimed £52,504 she was not entitled to because of two undeclared pensions belonging to her husband between August 2005 and October 2014.
Endean, of Woodseaves, near Stafford, obtained the benefits from August 2005 to October 2014 and failed to declare taking them even though she admitted similar dishonesty in November 2007.
She was then spared a jail term, along with husband Christopher, after the pair dishonestly claimed more than £42,000 in benefits.
They claimed they could barely walk but were filmed looking after Shetland ponies.
The 58-year-old has now been jailed for nine months for the latest offences – although this time she was found guilty by a jury.
It came after a joint Department of Work and Pensions and Stafford Borough Council investigation was launched.
Investigators found Endean, of Stafford Road, was given £35,676 in income support which was overpaid from August 2005 until October 2010.
She also took £13,413 in housing benefit she was not entitled to between August 2005 and August 2014, along with another £3,414 in council tax relief.
The former black belt judo champion walked into Stafford Crown Court using a walking stick and used a hearing loop as she was sentenced.
Mr Anthony Potter, defending Endean, said she suffers from a number of health conditions, including narcolepsy and problems with her lower back and neck.
He said she was concerned her husband, who has recently had an operation, would be left to care for himself.
But Recorder Stephen Thomas said he had no option but to jail Endean for three counts of dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and dishonestly failing to notify of changes which would have affected payments.
He said she had 'clearly manufactured' a document, which was presented to the jury.
It set out to blame authorities for the overpayments during her trial. But he said she was the sole person to blame.
He added: "Not only do you fail to get any credit for pleading guilty but it follows that there is a total lack of remorse on your part.
"That lack of remorse is set out clearly in the report that has been prepared on you."
