Angus woman, 26, claimed £8k in benefit fraud, court told

An Arbroath woman who admitted obtaining £8,000 worth of benefits she was not entitled to has been ordered to carry out 140 hours unpaid work.

Chelsea Sawyer, 26, of Strathairlie Avenue, appeared for sentence before Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar, having previously admitted falsely claiming £4,000 income support between August 2016 and January 2018, and a second charge relating to £4,000 worth of housing benefit in the same period.

Sheriff Murray said: “The amounts to which you pled guilty mean there is an alternative to a custodial sentence in your case.”

Sawyer was given 15 months to complete the community payback order.

Also at Forfar Sheriff Court: Neil Cargill, 43, of Balmain Street, Montrose was fined £500 having earlier admitting that between October 1 2017 and August 29 last year he engaged in a course of conduct against his ex-partner including repeatedly contacting her by phone, attending at her home, following her when she was driving around Forfar and remaining parked outside her home.

Craig Grant, 48, of Dalziel Place, Inveraldie was fined £300 after admitting behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on November 4, confronting a neighbour, shouting and swearing, and acting aggressively towards her.

Michael Edwards, 56, of Hillview, Kirriemuir, was ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work after admitting breaching sex offenders’ register requirements by failing to tell police he was the holder of a credit card on two occasions last year.