A MOTHER of seven has been spared an immediate prison sentence after defrauding the public out of thousands of pounds.

Kirsty Peach, who is heavily pregnant with her eighth child, wiped tears from her eyes as a court was told how she had conned authorities into handing out the benefit money.

Prosecutor Robert Griffiths told Southampton Crown Court her claim for income support, council tax benefit and housing benefit had been initially legitimate.

But she later failed to declare that her partner Andrew Wilson - who has fathered two of her children - had begun living with her.

As a result, she had illegally obtained almost £24,000.

When questioned, Peach accepted what she had done.

Mr Griffiths said that when she was asked why she had done it, Peach had said: “There is no excuse. I don't know what to say, there is not much to say.”

Peach, of High Street, Eastleigh, had been committed for sentence after pleading guilty before magistrates to three charges of failing to notify a change of circumstances.

The 32-year-old, who was said to be of previous good character, received an eight month suspended sentence, 12 months supervision and a 150 hour community work order.

Passing sentence, Recorder Donald Tait told Peach: “I am not going to lecture you. You know full well what you did was terribly wrong. It was a significant sum of money and what you did was done deliberately.”

In mitigation, Jo Chester said her partner, who sat in the public gallery, had obtained a full time job. Though money still remained tight, she was repaying the cash at the rate of £280 a month.

Referring to the contents of the probation report, she told the judge: “You can see the consequences if she went into custody.”