Brechin man denies more than £34,000 benefits fraud

An Angus man accused of falsely claiming benefits totalling more than £34,000 is to stand trial at Forfar Sheriff Court on Monday.

Colin Petrie, 46, of Drumachlie Park, Brechin, denies failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions of changes to his circumstances and claiming £34,413.65 he was not entitled to. The offences are alleged to have taken place between February 1 2012 and December 6 2016.

Petrie appeared at Forfar and maintained his not guilty plea.

He denies knowingly failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions of changes in his circumstances in relation to his entitlement to Disability Living Allowance.

The charge states there were improvements in his declared disabilities and a reduction in the assistance he required from others which resulted in him being able to carry out tasks he had previously declared he could not.

The court heard a trial date had been fixed for July 16.

Defence solicitor Brian Bell asked for the date to be deferred for the production of a report from his client’s general practitioner, but his motion was opposed by the Crown.

Depute fiscal Kirsten Letford told the court there had been a series of motions to adjourn accepted by the Crown.

She said: “On March 27 a deferred motion was not opposed, on April 24 there was another motion to adjourn which was not opposed, another one on June 12 and on June 26 it was deferred until today.

“Clearly the trial is on Monday but this has been going on for some time.”

Sheriff Michael Fletcher continued the case to trial.