Downham man jailed in £18,000 benefits fraud
A DOWNHAM man and his stepmother overclaimed housing benefits totalling more than £18,000, Lynn magistrates heard on Wednesday.
A 12-week prison sentence was imposed on Jonathan Ballantyne (39), care of 50 Nelson Avenue, who admitted ten offences of making false representations to obtain benefit. The magistrates suspended the sentence for 18 months and also ordered him to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and pay 400 costs.
Marion Dennistoun (63), of the same address, admitted two offences of failing to disclose her relationship to Ballantyne when claiming benefit. She was ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work.
Teresa Campion, prosecuting on behalf of West Norfolk Council, said the offences came to light in 2007 when an allegation was received that Dennistoun owned the property for which she was claiming housing benefit. An investigation was carried out and false claims dating back to 2002 were uncovered. So far, 1,020 had been paid back at the rate of 50 per month.
Aggravating features of the case were that it was fraudulent from the start and there was a large overpayment over five years, said Miss Campion.
After reading pre-sentence reports, magistrates heard from Alison Muir, for Ballantyne, that he was remorseful about dragging his stepmother into the case. "He accepts the responsibility entirely on his own shoulders," said Miss Muir.
A lot of the money which was overpaid was spent improving the property for his stepmother and he did much of the work himself, she added.
Neil Meachem, for Dennistoun, said his client was a woman of good character. She was adamant that initially she genuinely believed the house, bought under Right to Buy provisions in 2001, was in Ballantyne's name. After discovering it was not, she gifted it to her stepson. Mr Meacham stressed both charges against Dennistoun dated back to 2002 and added: "This is a sad day for her because she loses her good name."
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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