Disneyland benefit cheat is sent to jail
ABENEFIT cheat has been locked up for spending £15,000 on a family holiday to Disneyland while failing to mention her £190,000 inheritance.
Christine Angell, 61, fraudulently claimed nearly £50,000 in housing benefit and employment and support allowance, telling investigators she did not think she was obliged to declare “gifts”.
Sentencing her at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday, Judge Michael Fitton QC said: “This was a substantial sum over a prolonged period with repeated false declarations.”
The court heard she wrongly claimed a total of £47,315.97 over a five-and-a-half-year period.
Opening the case last month, prosecutor Jeffrey Jones said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) received information that she had “hidden capital” while claiming benefits.
Prosecutors said the benefits were paid on the basis that she would inform the authorities of any changes in her circumstances affecting her entitlement to claim but that she made repeated false declarations.
There was an investigation and the DWP found she was receiving large sums of money which she did not bring to their attention.
The court heard Angell inherited significant amounts from her brother and partner.
Byron Broadstock, prosecuting, said she received around £100,000 from her late brother’s estate plus lump sums totalling nearly £90,000.
The court heard she took her family on holiday to Disneyland, costing £15,000, and there was a second holiday to Orlando.
Prosecutors said they could not argue that she led a “lavish lifestyle” but drew the court’s attention to the holidays.
Angell was interviewed on June 16 last year and denied doing anything wrong. The court heard her brother died in 2008 and her partner died in 2011.
She accepted she had inherited from them but believed she did not have to disclose the amounts as they were “gifts”.
Prosecutors said the money was “depleted” and there was no point in the DWP pursuing confiscation proceedings to try to get it back.
Aled Watkins, mitigating, said the money was being deducted from her benefits.
Angell, from Ellwood Close in St Mellons, Cardiff, admitted three counts of benefit fraud.
Her counsel said she had no previous convictions, co-operated fully with the investigation, and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
He said she took her family on holiday because her partner stated he wanted his money to be spent on the family.
Mr Watkins added: “She felt obliged and complied with his wish.”
The court heard she was grieving at the time of the offending and was prescribed medication for depression.
Angell’s counsel said she has multiple health problems and brought a bag of medication to court as she has to take 12 different tablets a day, including morphine.
The judge previously adjourned the case for further inquiries to be made into the likely impacts on her health of custody.
Mr Watkins produced a letter from her GP stating: “I can quite categorically say that prison would have a detrimental effect on both her physical and mental health.”
NHS Pathways said her needs could be accommodated in prison.
Judge Fitton noted her claims were not fraudulent from the outset. Angell was jailed for eight months. After the case a DWP spokesman said: “Only a small minority of benefit claimants are dishonest but cases like these show how we are catching the minority who cheat the system.”