A woman who failed to properly declare her financial circumstance when claiming benefits has been handed a suspended sentence.
Emma Hearnden, 52, of Colby, appeared before Magistrates on Tuesday.
Hearnden had previously admitted one charge of benefit fraud through failing to declare a change in circumstances and give of making false representations to claim benefits.
The matter related to an arrangement where her ex-husband was paying the rent on her and their children’s homes.
In total she was overpaid £24,236.34 between 2019 and 2023.
The court heard Hearnden said she had failed to properly read the forms when filling them in and had always considered the rental payments a loan,
Concerning case
Her advocate Laurence Vaughan-Williams told magistrates his client was guilty of a “sin of omission rather than commission”.
He added that she is a vulnerable person with difficult circumstances.
Magistrates handed Hearnden a 20 week sentence, suspended for 18 months with supervision from probation.
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