Mum told 'significant lies' in £22,000 benefits fraud
A mother of three who told 'significant lies' to illegally pocket more than £22,000 worth of benefits has been spared jail for the sake of her children.
Judge James Burbidge QC told Harpreet Kaur while sentencing the 39-year-old at Wolverhampton Crown Court: "You have got a very thick seam of dishonesty running through your character and expected the general public to pay for your lifestyle rather than the father of your children."
The defendant repeatedly lied when filling in forms for the Department of Work and Pensions, insisting that she was a single parent looking after the children alone.
In reality she had been living with Harjit Singh since 2005 and investigators regularly saw his vehicles - a Mercedes and a Nissan pick up truck - parked at her home home late at night and early the following morning, said Mr Ian Ball, prosecuting.
The partner and Kaur had been on the electoral roll at the property in Birmingham New Road, Parkfield since at least 2011 which was when she first told the DWP she was caring for the children alone. He was the director of a company and gave the address as his home on his driving licence and bank account
As a result she got income support and council tax benefit to which she was not entitled for the next four years until the racket was uncovered by investigators.
Kaur had already paid back £7,000 of the money she had taken from the state, revealed Mr Oliver Woolhouse, defending who concluded: "If she is sent to prison it will be the children who really suffer."
Wolverhampton Social Services Department wrote a letter to the court outlining the 'trauma' the children would go through if their mother was taken from them.
Kaur, who was of previous good character, admitted three charges of dishonestly making false statements to obtain benefits and was given a two month jail term suspended under supervision for a year. Judge Burbidge observed: "The children's interests must be considered in cases such as this."
A decision on the amount of costs she should pay will be made at the conclusion of Proceeds of Crime proceedings intended to ensure she compensates the public purse in full for the money she took.
