Clairvoyant didn’t see £30k fraud case coming
Psychic claimed disability cash while reading fortunes
AFTER fleecing the taxpayer of nearly £27,000 in fraudulent benefit claims, clairvoyant Amanda Barrymore should have seen what was coming.
But she had no idea her finances were being checked until investigators knocked on her door.
Enquiries revealed that Barrymore, 62, was working as a freelance telephone psychic reader for several companies while claiming she was too sick to be employed.
Barrymore – who is single and whose autobiography describes how she was born as a man called Mike – was hauled to court, where she admitted the four-year scam.
And perhaps her supernatural spirknew itual guide – a ‘stern’ 19th century Catholic priest called ‘Patrick’ – was watching over her as she avoided jail and was given a 12-month suspended sentence. She must complete 180 hours of community work, however, and the Department for Work and Pensions made its own crystal ball prediction yesterday.
Gordon Collins, of the Fraud and Error Service, said: ‘I can confirm that recovery of taxpayers’ money will take place whether by payments of lump sums or by regular payments until all of the monies are repaid.’
On her website, Barrymore, from Stanway, Essex, describes herself as an ‘international media-medium and clairvoyant, author and tutor’.
She says she is a ‘spiritual workaholic’ who has appeared on Sky TV and featured in radio programmes.
She claims she lived a former life as an Irish milkmaid called Mary who Patrick. He abused her and killed her but became so remorseful when he ‘passed to the World of Spirit’ that he chose to guide her to pay his ‘Karmic debt’.
Colchester magistrates’ court heard Barrymore paid off her own debts by charging up to £40 an hour for private readings face to face, on the phone or over Skype.
But between January 2010 and August 2014, she topped up her earnings by fraudulently claiming £26,700 in benefits. More than half – £13,924 – was received in Employment and Support Allowance after she told the authorities she was unable to work because of high blood pressure.
She was caught when investigators carried out a standard check of employment records held by telemarketing firms. They revealed that Barrymore was on the books of three businesses, through which she provided readings.
The defendant, who admitted three fraud charges, failed to respond to requests for a comment yesterday. She lives in a two-bedroom flat in a block understood to contain social housing accommodation. Mr Collins added: ‘We would have considered using the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover this money but there are no assets that we can legally seize.’
‘Spiritual workaholic’