Benefits cheat psychic and wife ordered to pay back £183k
A clairvoyant and his wife from Staffordshire who between them fiddled a six-figure sum in benefits have been ordered to pay back a total of £183,450.
Psychic medium Timothy Abbott, of Stafford, toured the world offering his services, but he claimed he was unfit for work and was paid incapacity benefit and disability living allowance.
His wife Janette illicitly received carer's allowance and other benefits, Stafford Crown Court heard.
They claimed they could barely walk - but he was secretly filmed by an undercover fraud team working out in the gym, following a tip off that the 54-year-old clairvoyant and his wife were benefit cheats.
The psychic, of Lineker Close, Stafford, was jailed for eight months earlier this year while his 50-year-old wife, of the same address, got an eight-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.
A proceeds of crime hearing at Stafford Crown Court was told that Timothy Abbott had benefited to the tune of £86,524, including £9,532 owed to the taxman.
Mr Glyn Samuel, prosecuting, said his realisable assets were in the same amount.
Janette Abbott's criminal benefit was £123,022 and her realisable assets were £96,926.
The benefit figure included £44,376 to Staffordshire County Council to pay back carers' allowance and £1,039 to Cannock Chase Council.
Mr Samuel said her assets had now been 'wiped out'.
Mr Tim Pole, representing Janette, said the couple were in the process of selling their home to raise her share of the equity.
Mr Paul Hiatt, for Timothy Abbott, said there was currently a restraining order on the deeds to the house and asked for it to be lifted so it could be sold.
Recorder Professor Martin Wasik ordered Timothy Abbott to forfeit £86,524 and his wife to pay back £96,926.
They were each given three months to hand over the money or face two years in jail.
Timothy Abbott regularly toured the world, visiting countries including Canada, Switzerland and Iceland, while claiming benefits.
The couple made their bogus claims between 1998 and 2014.
Mr Abbott was jailed after pleading guilty to two counts of failing to notify the DWP of a change in circumstances and two counts of making a fraudulent non-payment of income tax.
His wife had pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to notify the DWP of a change in circumstances, one count of making a false statement and one of falsely obtaining benefits by deception.
She was filmed by investigators on December 7, 2012 bending down and carrying a heavy shoulder bag while on a shopping trip.
