Fraudster sent to prison
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
15/12/2008
A 45 year-old woman who swindled the council out of almost £30,000 will spend most of the next two years behind bars.
Eunice Johnston, of Richford Street, W6, tried to dupe Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council out of £23,000 worth of housing benefit and council tax benefit amounting to £5,000 but was caught red-handed when a council probe found she had bought three properties in Peckham.
Johnston also posed as a single, unemployed parent to scoop taxpayers’ cash illegally. In reality, Johnston had a series of, up to ten, part-time jobs. While she was dishonestly working, including jobs as a cleaner and an administrator, Johnston was claiming thousands of pounds in taxpayers’ cash.
Johnson finally got her comeuppance at Blackfriars Crown court on December 8, when His Honour Justice Ian Karsten sentenced her to 21 months in prison.
Cllr Greg Smith, H&F Council Cabinet Member for Crime & Anti-Social Behaviour, says, “I am delighted that this fraudster will be spending the next 21 months behind bars. Our team of anti-fraud investigators are experts at sniffing out these cheats. We take our duty to spend taxpayers’ cash responsibly very seriously and when these fraudsters do crop up, our zero tolerance swoops stop them in their tracks.”
The council will now pursue recovery of the overpaid benefits under proceeds of crime legislation with a hearing to be set in the early part of the new year.
The investigation also uncovered that Johnson had fraudulently claimed over £35,000 in income support.
