A BENEFITS cheat, who
ripped off the taxpayer for
more than £40,000 over six
years, has been jailed for
12 months.
At one stage John Shrimpton, 61,
was holding down three jobs and still
claiming financial help from the
state.
Prosecutor Alice Missions
described how Shrimpton's deceit
began in 1998 when he claimed incapacity
benefit and income support
after citing a prolapsed disc -
although he was working as a security
guard at the time.
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He left the company in 2003, but
within two weeks he was reemployed
by the same company and
subsequently got himself further
work.
The lawyer told Southampton
Crown Court that Shrimpton made a
false application for council house
tax benefit in 2005, and he was
employed by three different companies.
She said: "The fraud lasted six
years and four months and he
claimed benefit to which he was not
entitled which totalled £41,153.39."
Shrimpton, of Woodlands Way,
Bursledon, pleaded guilty at
Southampton Magistrates' Court to
three offences of making a false
statement to obtain benefit, and was
committed to the city crown court
for sentence.
In mitigation, Peter Humphris said
that it would take Shrimpton a considerable
time to pay back the
money, which had not been spent on
an extravagant lifestyle.
He said: "This was not a particularly
sophisticated fraud."
Passing sentence, Judge
Christopher Leigh QC said that he
took into account Shrimpton's difficult
financial and family situation as
well as his poor health and age.
He added: "But you obtained in
excess of £41,000 over six years by
perpetrating this fraud. This was not
a claim that was legitimate at the
outset and then committed when you
failed to notify the authorities of a
change of circumstances.
"It was committed from the outset
and there can only be an immediate
sentence of imprisonment."
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