“Deliberate Fraud” –man gets suspended sentence

A 39-year-old man who  falsely obtained £5804.58 in benefits was given a 14 week jail sentence suspended for two years plus a community service order for 24 months by Aldershot magistrates on Wednesday (11).

Craig Davenport was told by the chairman of the magistrates that it had been a deliberate fraud on his part over a period of nine months.

He was ordered to repay the money at £15 a week with an increase when he got an anticipated pay rise. He was also ordered to pay £200 towards Hart’s costs in bringing the case.

At a hearing on May 14  Davenport, formerly known as Craig Goodman, had pleaded guilty to signing a benefit form containing false information in June 2005  when he had not declared that he was living in Mill Bridge Road, Yateley and was sub-letting his property in Swaledale Gardens, Ancells Farm, Fleet thus gaining additional income.

Mrs Miriam Petch, solicitor for  Hart Council, said the Council’s fraud investigation team had an anonymous tip-off that a female housing benefit claimant in Yateley had a Craig Goodman living with her and they were running a cleaning business.

It was then discovered that  Davenport/Goodman was at the same time claiming housing and council tax benefit in his own right for the Fleet address.

When he filled in the form he had written N/A when asked if he was receiving rent and had any other income.

Later it was revealed that he had let the property to employees.

Mrs Petch said the total overpayment from public funds was £5804.58

She added that Davenport, who now lives in Wrexham, Wales had a number of previous convictions and 27 of them related to dishonesty and/or deception.