Force detective is benefit cheat

A detective constable with West Midlands Police illegally pocketed more than £3,600 by wrongly cashing housing benefit cheques.

Stephen Murphy has pleaded guilty to a total of 14 charges of fraud by false representation.

The officer rented out a room of his Walsall home but failed to tell the authorities his tenant had moved out for more than a year – all the while continuing to cash benefit cheques.

The 40-year-old will be sentenced next month and was told by a judge his "long-standing career as a policeman" could come to an end.

Murphy rented out a room of his house in Pinfold Lane, Aldridge, to Paula Pomeroy from December 2006 to July 2007.

Ms Pomeroy was on income support and entitled to weekly housing benefit of £64.62, which was paid direct to her landlord Murphy by Walsall Council every four weeks.

But after she moved back to her home city of Plymouth, Murphy failed to inform the authority of the change and the money kept on coming.

He continued to accept the cheques from August 2007 to August 2008. The total overpayment was £3,618.

The fraud only came to light when Ms Pomeroy started to claim housing benefit from Plymouth City Council, and shared computer systems picked up a clash.

Murphy originally denied the charges and was due to start a four-day trial last month. However, he changed his plea to guilty at the last minute during a hearing on Tuesday at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Judge Nicholas Webb adjourned the case for sentencing on July 7, saying Murphy's "long-standing career as a policeman" was now in doubt.

His future as a police officer will be reviewed following his sentence. West Midlands Police spokeswoman Sam O'Hanlon said: "This is an investigation carried out by Walsall Council.

"A review of misconduct will be conducted once criminal proceedings have concluded."

Murphy, who used to be a beat bobby in Smethwick, was granted conditional bail on the agreement that he co-operates with the probation service.`