'318 years' to pay fraud money back
A father-of-four who claimed £34,363 incapacity benefit while pretending to be unable to work, could take more than 300 years to repay the money.
Richard Curran, 50, was jailed for 18 months at Northampton Crown Court for falsely obtaining benefits while claiming to be unable to work or stand for long periods, due to sciatica.
Richard Dewsbery, prosecuting for the Department of Work and Pensions, said Curran applied for incapacity benefit in September 1997. He claimed he was unable to work due to severe lower back pain.
In August 2005, he provided documents which stated he had difficulty standing unless supported, could not sit comfortably for more than 10 minutes and needed to use a walking stick.
However, from 2001 he was employed by a company which installs conveyor belt systems across the UK and was being paid between 19,000 and 28,000 a year.
By October last year, his bogus claim for incapacity benefit had been brought to the attention of fraud investigators.
Mr Dewsbery said: "He has now entered into an agreement to pay back the money at 9 a month and, by my estimation, Your Honour, that will take something like 318 years."
Passing sentence, Judge Richard Bray described it as "a bad case of really blatant fraud".
Curran, of High Street, Hardingstone, admitted to magistrates last month to three offences of failing to declare a change in circumstances while claiming benefits.
Richard Holloway, defending, said Curran had struggled to provide for his family at a difficult time in his marriage.
He said: "He could not complain about a custodial sentence, but he knows he has brought this upon himself."
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