The Batman stripper who fiddled £5k in benefits
PERFORMING a raunchy Batman dance number, this is Mark Hetherington – better known by his stage name the Stripping Ninja.
But as he writhed around on stage, he was actually pocketing thousands in benefits after claiming he was too ill to go outside.
Despite telling the authorities he had severe agoraphobia, Hetherington would strip – often down to a pair of nipple tassles – in front of audiences across Britain.
A court heard Hetherington, 51, had failed to tell officials of an improvement in his condition, meaning he wrongly received a total of £5,018.
Malcolm Isherwood, prosecuting, said the defendant had suffered a crisis of confidence after he lost his job as a screen printer and his marriage broke down.
Hetherington told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that his illness became so bad he suffered panic attacks, could not cook for himself and needed assistance to brush his teeth.
Mr Isherwood told magistrates in Blackpool: ‘Hetherington said he was anxious all the time ... especially in social circumstances and could not mix with others.’
However, when officials began to investigate they discovered he was working as an erotic dancer – using the full stage name ‘Ian Kognito – the Stripping Ninja’ – as well as doing nude modelling for art classes.
‘He appeared across the UK in front of audiences and at private parties ... He could not explain when asked how he was now coping with working with and being watched by perfect strangers,’ Mr Isherwood said.
John McLaren, for Hetherington, said his client accepted he should have told the DWP he was getting better. ‘He was pulling himself around and this started with the life modelling. He was not paid a lot, sometimes just £15 a time,’ said Mr McLaren. ‘He is paying back the money at £10 a week.’
Hetherington, of Blackpool, admitted benefit fraud between May 2012 and August 2014. He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £125 in court costs.