Mum-of-two spared jail after applying for loans in friend’s name
33-YEAR-OLD NETTED MORE THAN £6K OF TAXPAYERS’ CASH
A WOMAN who admitted applying for loans in the name of a vulnerable friend has been spared jail.
Sharon Jones, of Awelfryn, Llithfaen made 17 applications in the name of Brenda Roberts to the Department of Work and Pensions, netting herself a total of £6,720.
The 33-year-old mum of two admitted a charge of fraud and was sentenced to 27 weeks.
But Judge Huw Rees suspended the jail term for 12 months and ordered her to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community work and undertake a Thinking Skills programme supervised by the Probation Service.
The judge told Jones at Caernarfon Crown Court: “You deliberately targeted a vulnerable victim to try and dig yourself out of a financial mess of your own making.”
Elen Owen, defending, said the matter had been the subject of a lengthy investigation and her client had been first arrested and interviewed about the allegations more than two years ago.
She said: “This is a sad case. Both women struggled with the same type of issues and she was trying to help her friend, but the temptation of taking out these loans became too much.”
Ms Owen added Jones was the main carer for her elderly father and urged the judge to follow the recommendations of the pre-sentence report.
After Ms Owen raised the matter of the Probation Service’s failure to provide a Welsh speaker to interview her for the report, the judge apologised.
He noted the situation should not happen and asked the Probation Service to provide an explanation.
Mathew Curtis, prosecuting, said Jones had made 23 applications for Budgeting Advances or Budget Advance Loans. These were loans from the Social Fund to help people pay for necessary things while they are on benefits.
Six of these were signed by Ms Roberts, who was told by Jones the cash was needed to pay utility bills.
The remainder were not signed by Ms Roberts, resulting in a loss to the public purse of £6,720, Mr Curtis said.
Mr Curtis added the fraud had led to significant financial hardship for the victim and her family.