Actress feigned dementia to fool officials in £750,000 fraud

WHEELCHAIR McGill yesterday AN amateur actress faked dementia as part of a £750,000 benefit fraud.

Ethel McGill hoodwinked officials as she played the system for 24 years, a court heard.

The “devious” cheat also claimed her father’s pensions for 12 years after he died.

McGill, 68, had boasted on her CV of playing roles from “a hard-hearted Glasgow woman to a timid abuse victim”.

Prosecutor Robert Dudley said the mum-of-two got disability living allowance in 1992 by falsely claiming asthma, arthritis and back problems.

She also pocketed her dad Robert Dennison’s war pension after he died in 2004, aged 82.

McGill also claimed his binman’s pension, a 24-hour care package for him and his wide range of allowances.

In addition she claimed council tax benefits for his house in Runcorn, Cheshire.

She even applied for a bigger home so the family could live together and “maintain the level of care for her father”.

Eight years after Mr Dennison died, she showed a benefits assessor a figure in her dad’s bed and warned him not to approach as he had dementia and could be aggressive.

In 2015 she feigned dementia herself and claimed a care package. Hannah Bazley, 25, girlfriend of her son Anthony, pretended to be her carer.

McGill, who admitted 14 counts of fraud and money laundering, arrived at Chester crown court in a wheelchair. Judge Steven Everett called her

“very devious” and questioned whether she was “putting it on”.

But he agreed to move the case to Liverpool crown court, which has wheelchair facilities. She was told to expect jail and put on a curfew at her Runcorn semi until sentence on July 29.

Her son Chris, 28, admitted wrongly claiming £27,000, and got a two year community order.

Bazley, 25, admitted conspiracy to commit fraud and was given an 18-month order. After the case, Stephane Pendered, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “McGill made good use of her amateur dramatic skills.

“This is the largest case of benefit fraud by a single person I have ever prosecuted.”

McGill made good use of her dramatic skills

STEPHANE PENDERED FROM THE CPS