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Benefit scam mum of eight is spared jail
A MUM-of-eight from Sheffield swindled taxpayers out of more than £9,000 while she worked as a cleaner at a child's nursery.
Ann Shaw, aged 48, of Fretson Road, Manor, continued to claim benefits from June 2002 to 2008 despite working at Manor Community Childcare Centre, Sheffield magistrates heard.
Amanda Holmes, prosecuting, told the court the single mum had begun claiming income support in May 1999 after her partner split up with her, leaving her with substantial debts.
She began to help out at the playgroup for a couple of hours each week, eventually taking on more hours without stopping her benefits payments,
which she continued claiming to the sum of 9,316.
David Staniforth, defending, said that to say Shaw was sorry "would be a massive understatement", and that she was "racked with guilt".
He said her crimes were "more to do with having no money" than deliberately committing benefit fraud.
Mr Staniforth said six of her children still lived at home with her, and with none of them earning a wage it fell to her to provide for her family.
He said she had suffered from depression, but that she had come to terms with it and had begun "moving forward" with her life.
Sentencing Shaw, district judge Tony Harper told her: "You have pleaded guilty to benefit fraud, which is a serious matter. Our sentencing guidelines direct us towards a custodial sentence."
However, after magistrates read a report provided by the defence, they handed the mum 120 hours community service with 50 costs. Shaw had already begun paying back the fraudulently claimed money at 10 per week.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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