A Child, Or A ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ Card?

A mum conned more than £40,000 from the taxpayer because she did not want to live in a council house, a court heard.

I can understand that. Neither do I.

Elizabeth Dempsey kept quiet about her £90,000 nest egg when signing forms for income support, council tax and housing benefit.

Ximena Jones, defending, said Dempsey wanted the best for her son, who has autism.

She said: “She wanted to live in a nice house in a nice area. She thought if she told the truth she knew it would mean a change in her lifestyle.”

*sighs*

Well, that ‘nest egg’ will cover the money she owes us taxpayers quite nicely, won’t it?

Oh.

The court heard how Dempsey, 41, of Horsecroft Road, has paid back £3,000 and was now paying the rest out of her income support benefits – because she had spent all her savings on her lifestyle. Miss Jones said her client knew she faced jail but was petrified about the impact of this on her son.

*grinds teeth*

Sentencing Judge Patrick Hooton told Dempsey: “You should have thought of him when you started this fraud.

"You must have realised at some stage while you stole all that money from the taxpayer that your child, who does not necessarily have all the advantages, was at risk of being left without a mother.

“Because people who are caught with this sort of money, stealing it like you did, go to prison – do you understand?”

Well, she’s got no need to understand, really, has she? Because – of course! – she didn’t have to go!

But Judge Hooton stepped back from jailing her on the spot, instead suspending a 12 month sentence for two years, imposing a supervision order plus 100 hours’ unpaid work.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Who said crime doesn’t pay?