Grimsby benefit cheat Angela Elshaw (48) fiddled 22k to repay her debts
BENEFIT cheat Angela Elshaw is waiting to find out if she will end up in prison – after fiddling nearly £22,400 of taxpayers’ money to pay off debts.
She was jailed for 12 weeks by Grimsby magistrates but, within about 20 minutes, she was freed on unconditional bail pending an appeal against the sentence.
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ALLOWED BAIL: Angela Elshaw
Elshaw, 48, of Bransdale Way, Grimsby, admitted two offences of failing to notify a change of circumstances affecting her entitlement to benefit and another of making a false statement, on dates between May 31, 2009, and December 11 last year.
Pippa Sowerby, prosecuting for the Department for Work and Pensions, said Elshaw fraudulently claimed £22,395 in Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
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The claim was at first legitimate but later became dishonest, said Miss Sowerby.
Elshaw and her husband, Michael, separated for a time and she claimed benefits as a person who was living alone.
But there was later a reconciliation between the pair and he moved back into the family home, said Miss Sowerby. Elshaw did not tell the authorities that this had happened, and used the extra cash from wrongly-paid benefits to help pay off debts.
Roy Foreman, mitigating, said Elshaw made early admissions and did not set out to make a fraudulent claim. The prosecution accepted that it was originally a lawful claim.
The fraud happened over a long period but she had shown obvious remorse, had lost her good character and bore the shame of what she had done, said Mr Foreman.
Presiding magistrate Jo Walker told Elshaw: “We have considered all our sentencing options. This offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.
“It’s a large amount of taxpayers’ money and this fraud continued over a long period.”
Mr Foreman immediately gave notice of an appeal against the sentence to Grimsby Crown Court.
Elshaw, in floods of tears, was taken down to the cells while arrangements for the notice of appeal were sorted.
About 20 minutes later, she was brought back to the courtroom and allowed bail pending the outcome of the appeal. No dates were set.
As reported in the Telegraph in the last year, there have been a number of cases at Grimsby Crown Court where defendants who have fiddled much larger amounts of benefit have been given suspended prison sentences.
Comments
by JP_stitch_up
Wednesday, November 07 2012, 12:04PM
“Have you got what it takes to become a Magistrate? Questions & Answers
Q1. I've been told I can become a Magistrate without any qualifications or legal background, is this true?
A. Absolutely! As a Magistrate you'll not be required to involve yourself in any aspect of the law.
Q2. I'm worried that my lack of legal knowledge will cause me to make a wrong decision, how can I be reassured that I won't?
A. You will not make wrong decisions. You will given clear instructions of how you are to determine the case in advance of the hearing. Your job is to appear like you're considering the evidence. You are effectively playing a role in a theatre production.
Q.3 I'm concerned that I may be required to deliver a guilty verdict when the defendant is so obviously innocent. How would I convince attendees in the courtroom that the process is fair and just.
A. As a trainee Magistrate you would have plenty of opportunities to gain experience in this area. You would be assigned a mentor who would accompany you on many cases before you were allowed to go solo.
Q4. I would love to become a Magistrate just to have the JP suffix after my name. But I consider having to sit on serious cases far too big a price to pay for this. What is the most serious trial a Magistrate gets involved in?
A. You will normally only get involved with minor offences which entail bulk processing like TV licences, Council Tax liability orders or in instances where motorists forget to submit details to the DVLA.
Q5. I understand that in all Magistrate court cases the verdict has all ready been determined before the hearing. Why is the charade necessary of the court's involvement when there is no decision to be made?
A. You are quite correct. It is all a charade, but there are procedures laid down in law which need to be followed. As a Magistrate your function will normally to attend for "conveyor style" prosecutions, where secondary legislation has been devised for the purpose of processing defendants in bulk – guaranteeing a healthy revenue source from the process.”
by Kymberlou
Saturday, November 03 2012, 7:48PM
“Meanwhile politicians and there 2nd homes.......”
by stander
Saturday, November 03 2012, 3:24PM
“Sorry. I meant knuckledragger”
by stander
Saturday, November 03 2012, 3:23PM
“What are you saying nuckledragger, that you are this person in your link?”
by nukedragga
Saturday, November 03 2012, 2:12PM
“As our LOSER of many names contrives to be original, he continually shows that he is a vacuous nobody and it's small wonder that he's the most ignored person in Grimsby and now the country.
http://tinyurl.com/d3tdnws
"I read the NELC Annual Fraud Report 2011–12 linked to on the following:-(”
by artie
Saturday, November 03 2012, 12:23PM
“carol winferrah page 7,was given 20 days, for £1,300,yet angela elshaw,only gets 12 weeks for £22,000,it works out carol,s £1,300,multiplied by 12 approx,=£5200,angela would only be doing a quarter in time behind bars,she should be able to do the sentence,stood on her head,while smoking her fag,s,in 1 sense,she should do longer,do the crime,do the time.”
by N_T_Sh
Friday, November 02 2012, 11:13PM
“I read the NELC Annual Fraud Report 2011–12 linked to on the following:
http://tinyurl.com/b74xgjk
Particularly interesting is the different approach North East Lincolnshire Council takes against fraudsters, depending upon whether they're council staff (including its contractors) or members of the public.
For example, a member of the public:
QUOTE/
The anti-fraud and anti-corruption strategy clearly sets out the Council's policy on prosecuting those who seek to steal public money. However, it is not just about obtaining a conviction. Benefit fraud cases for example, are routinely notified to the local press to name and shame those who are convicted of fraud to reinforce the message that the Council are serious in bringing fraudsters to justice. It acts as a deterrent to those who may believe benefit fraud is acceptable and provides assurance to the public that the Council have effective anti-fraud measures in place. Here are some examples taken from the Grimsby Evening telegraph website in 2011/12:
Example 1
HUSBAND FALSELY CLAIMED NEARLY £11K IN BENEFITS
A husband falsely claimed nearly £11,000 in benefits by making false statements. G admitted four offences of claiming benefits, including Housing benefit, council tax relief and child tax credits between June 200X and December 200X.
At Grimsby Magistrates' Court, he was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £100 in costs.
Prosecuting on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council, Eve Richardson-Smith said G had made false statements claiming he and his wife had separated when they had not.
/END QUOTE
On the other hand, if it's an employee or employee of one of its contractors:
QUOTE/
In 2011/12 Internal Audit were involved in 22 investigations (including 2 carried forward from previous years). Allegations included contractor/ procurement fraud, council tax fraud, fraudulent claims for disability grant, fraudulent misuse of council funds by employees, corruption and payroll fraud.
The findings of the 16 cases which are now closed were as follows:
• In one case there were sufficient grounds to dismiss an employee
• In one case although fraud was not proven, the employee was subject to a warning.
• In three cases there was insufficient evidence to proceed
• In four cases fraud not identified, but the investigation found system weaknesses
• In seven cases the allegations were found to be unsubstantiated and no further action was required..........
SANCTION
The Council's approach to sanctions is laid out in the fraud and corruption policy:
".... Where the fraud is committed by an employee of a contractor or partner organisation, we will request that the organisation takes appropriate disciplinary action against the individual"
/END QUOTE
No mention is there of any routine notifications to the local press to name and shame those who are convicted of fraud to reinforce the message that the Council are serious in bringing fraudsters to justice.”
by sunshine2000
Friday, November 02 2012, 10:35PM
“She should be made to pay every penny back and banned to claiming benefits. How many more people at it”
by BENDITLIKE
Friday, November 02 2012, 4:20PM
“For a successful appeal to stand the money fraudulently claimed should be paid back immediately otherwise send her down without hesitation.”
by labourladie
Friday, November 02 2012, 12:39PM
“Tip of the iceberg. It's a national pastime.”