Double tragedy left mum feeling like ‘automaton’
Single parent benefit cheat claimed thousands illegally
A benefit cheat has narrowly avoided prison for illegally claiming thousands from the public purse, after a court heard a personal tragedy had left her feeling like an “automaton”.
Single mum Jayne Cockerham admitted a trio of dishonesty offences, which allowed her to amass an ill-gained £7,966 across multiple benefits.
Scarborough magistrates heard how she illegally claimed income support, having not told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that she was working for the plush Hilton hotel chain.
And she also didn’t bother to tell the DWP that she had married, while also failing to inform Scarborough Council that she had moved from her old home in Victoria Mews.
The 34-year-old was flanked by two supporters at Friday morning’s hearing, where magistrates warned her that “all options were open” regarding sentence for offences that did carry the option of custody.
But lawyers for the Crown Prosecution Service said that while Cockerham had took the money, they accepted she was a “lady of good character, with no previous convictions”.
And in mitigation, Robert Vining said that his client had been “knocked completely for six” by a pair of tragic events in her life.
Two of her closest friends had died, he said, adding: “There were problems in her life, and she just didn’t know which way to turn.”
But since then her life had improved, added Mr Vining.
She had started to slowly pay back the thousands she had duped both the DWP and council out of.
Around £800 has been returned to Scarborough Council, while “several hundred” pounds had been paid back to the DWP.
And the court also heard from the probation service, who said that while the bench were contemplating custody, it would be her four children – three of whom live with her – that would be punished the most.
Probation added: “She would be quite vulnerable in a custodial environment.”
Cockerham’s deceit spanned more than a year, starting i n December 2012 until January 2014.
Magistrates told Cockerham: “We take offences like this extremely seriously and we have given serious thought to custody.”
They instead handed her a 12-month community order.
Cockerham, now of Normanton Place, Leeds, has to complete 200 hours unpaid work, and pay £85 costs and a £60 surcharge.