Married Paul and Alison Gray have been handed suspended prison sentences and community service after scamming more than £20,000 in benefits from council coffers.
The scheming fraudsters, of Darnley Road, Strood, pleaded guilty to a string of offences - spanning more than two years – and were sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court today.
The Grays raked in thousands of pounds of handouts across four separate funding schemes between 2003 and 2006.
Judge Michael Lawson QC said: “You were thoroughly dishonest for a period of two years and four months. Clearly this is a case that is suitable for a custodial sentence.”
Alison was given a nine-month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
Paul was handed a six-month suspended sentence and instructed to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
They were each ordered to pay £150 costs.
The court heard how Paul, 46, submitted benefit applications to Medway council on Alison’s behalf claiming she suffered from violent outbursts, panic attacks, severe depression and pain in her legs, knees and hands.
However, con-artist Alison, also 46, soon took up a cleaning job at Oakwood Park Grammar School, Maidstone, working under her sister’s name, Glenda Herbert, in order to keep the free council cash coming in.
Glenda seemed the perfect cover as she had moved to Spain in 1993.
The pair went to great length to ensure their scam went undetected, producing the paper part of Glenda’s driving license to prove Alison’s fake identity.
Alison also wrote a letter to Medway council pretending to be her sister when assessors questioned why payments for Glenda and Paul were going into her account.
David Jugnarain, prosecuting, said: “All their actions amount to a deliberate attempt to defraud the authorities.
“It is blatant fraud on part of Mrs Gray, who used her sister’s identity for the sole purpose of committing fraud.
“Had it been known she was working she would have no longer received the benefit payments.
“The reason for the fraud was debt.”
Thomas Allen, defending Mrs Gray, said: “Alison clearly has deep-seated mental health problems. She knows full well what she was doing was wrong and has brought shame on herself.
“She is very determined to repay all the money she has received. She’s working as many hours as she can to do so.”
John Fitzgerald, defending Mr Gray, argued the pair “fell into” the fraud.
He said Mr Gray, as his wife’s carer, took her with him to work at the school as he was concerned about leaving her at home on her own.
As a result of this the opportunity for fraud arose.
On sentencing, Judge Michael Lawson QC said: “The reality of this case is that you are both equally responsible. You decided you would pay off your debt by being dishonest.”
Yourmedway has been campaigning to stop benefit cheats taking taxpayers' money from the council coffers.
Since the launch of the ‘Your Money – Your Loss’ crackdown we have been calling on our readers to help root out the con artists, who drained more than £400,000 of your money last year alone which could have been for the community.
*If you know a fraudster call the council’s benefits investigation team on 01634 332305 or leave a message on its benefit fraud hotline on 0800 083 7049.
POSTED: 09/05/2008 15:32:24