Benefits cheat spent £3,700 in swindled cash on drink (From Daily Echo)

Army veteran illegally claimed benefits and spent cash on booze

2:20pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Crime

Benefits cheat spent £3,700 in swindled cash on drink

AN ARMY veteran swindled £3,797 in benefits by faking a letter from his landlord and spent it on drink, a court heard.

Douglas Dennis sent the letter and filled in a form for Housing Benefit from Southampton City Council claiming he paid rent when he lived rent free in Shaftesbury Avenue, Southampton.

Duncan Milne, prosecuting at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, said the 56-year-old claimed he was paying £50 per week and when asked if his landlord Phillip Sadler had signed the letter he told the council “I think so”.

“But Phillip Sadler provided a statement saying he never asked for any money and never received any money,” he said.

Mr Milne added: “He (Dennis) was asked what he did with the money and his answer was that it was spent on drink.”

Dennis pleaded guilty to making a false representation by submitting a claim form for Housing Benefit and of making a false representation of submitting the letter from the landlord.

Paul Fairley, in mitigation, said Dennis was now receiving Carers Allowance and Income Support and was paying back £20.20 from his fortnightly total of £175 for previous benefits overpayments.

Magistrate Richard Woolger sentenced Dennis to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £100 costs, saying he had made the “unusual and exceptional”

decision not to punish him more severely due to his health.