Mother at centre of £23,000 benefit fraud spared jail term

A MOTHER of four who cheated a benefits agency out of almost £23,000, was today spared jail to look after her children.

Sheriff Kenneth Maciver said that sending Annette Slater to prison would only cost the public more by having to provide care for the children.

Slater, 42, pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this month to gaining £22,962 in income support to which she was not entitled over three years.

The court was told that Slater, who is the carer for her mentally disabled daughter, had been the subject of a lengthy investigation after it was discovered she began working as a debt repayment collector and selling loans in Penicuik in October 2003. She failed to notify the Jobcentre of her change in circumstances.

Defence agent, Jim Grant, said Slater, who is divorced, had been trying to compete with her ex-husband to buy their children gifts and holidays.

"Her plan was to keep this going for a few months but she found it too easy," he said.

Deferring sentence for background reports until today, Sheriff Maciver, told her: "We are dealing with a very, very substantial fraud from the common purse.

"The more this happens, the less money there is for genuine needs and it is important that the courts deal with this type of situation effectively and in a way that will discourage people from considering defrauding the public purse."

Mr Grant told the sheriff today that Slater, of Dick Terrace, Penicuik, was extremely fearful about her children being taken into care and was worried that it would have a devastating effect on her and them.

He added that a repayment scheme was already in operation. A sum of £7.40 a week was being taken from her allowances and, he said, Slater had voluntarily asked that £20 a week be taken.

"The public purse will at least receive some recompense" said Mr Grant.

Sheriff Maciver told Slater that when he first heard the facts of the case he had been told she was a first offender, but the background reports had revealed that she had a previous conviction for theft.

He told her: "Normally people do not get two chances to avoid prison but I am prepared to do so, not so much for your sake, but for your children, who would be left without you for an extended period."

Sheriff Maciver said that if her children had to be taken into care it would only cost the public more money.

He placed her on probation for two years and ordered that she perform 200 hours of community service. He also ordered that she continue with the repayment programme.