Fraudster pays the price
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
29/10/2008
An 80 hour community service punishment should certainly give Fulham resident Justin Bateson plenty of time to think if defrauding H and F Council out of £2,700 was really worthwhile.
Bateson, 38, of Sailmakers Court, SW6, failed to declare that his Job Seekers Allowance had ended and continued to receive housing benefit into his personal account for a period of four months.
At Blackfriars Crown Court, on Tuesday October 28, His Honour Judge David Martineau sentenced Bateson to 80 hours community service. He also ordered him to pay back the overpayment and an additional £100 towards costs of the case.
Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for crime and anti-social behaviour, said: “Anyone who thinks they can get away with defrauding the council is seriously misguided. We will continue to ensure that those who receive benefits do so legitimately. The vast majority of borough residents are law-abiding citizens and we will continue to act in their best interests by bringing cheats to justice.”
When interviewed by Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Corporate Anti Fraud Service (CAFS) Bateson stated he had not claimed benefits before and was not familiar with the system. He said that he had called both the Department of Work and Pensions and the council and was told to write a letter confirming that he had found work.
He also stated that he no longer used the account that the benefit was paid into and would therefore not have been aware that payments continued.
After the interview, further evidence was gathered by CAFS which showed that there was no record of Bateson ever contacting either body regarding the change in his circumstances and that he had continued to use the account that benefits were paid to.
