Father earned £90k while claiming benefits, court hears
A father-of-two wrongly claimed more than £30,000 in benefits after failing to disclose that he had earned more than £90,000 from trading in horses and cars, a court heard.
Craig Richards, aged 40, began claiming carers allowance in 2003 on the basis that he was living with his partner, but caring for his mother, who suffers from dementia. In 2008 he also started receiving income support on the basis the only income he was receiving was the carers allowance.
However, Laura Hobson, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Richards, who pleaded guilty to failing to disclose the income, was also receiving money from buying and selling dogs and cars, which he regarded as a hobby and therefore believed he did not have to declare it on the benefit forms.
She added: "The benefit forms asked him to declare income and savings, but it was never declared. Had it been known, he would not have been entitled to carers allowance or income support."
Miss Hobson, prosecuting, said Richards, of Harrold Road, Rowley Regis, claimed more than £20,000 too much in carers allowance and £10,000 too much in income support, while he was also in breach of a suspended sentence given to him in January 2012 for perverting the course of justice.
Other previous convictions included having a faulty excise licence.
Samantha Powis, mitigating, said the defendant was going through a difficult time in having to look after his two children, as well as his elderly parents and the £90,000 had accrued over a period of time.
She added: "He has always had £90,000 under a mattress and it is for a hobby and he didn't declare it because he never thought about it and he has indicated to the probation officer that he wishes he had thought about it."
She urged Judge Peter Barrie to consider the likely impact on his children and parents if he was jailed and to give Richards a suspended sentence instead.
Jailing Richards for 24 weeks, the judge told him: "The court sees many cases of this kind when people have made wrongful applications for benefit when they are in desperate situations and can make a strong case that there was at least a moral argument for having the benefits to meet their needs.
"You don't fall into that category as you were making large amounts from your activities in business and I can not properly deal with you in any other way than impose a prison sentence for this sustained and substantial fraud."
