Orford woman pilfered cash over 10-year period (From This Is Cheshire)

Orford woman pilfered cash over 10-year period

9:30am Friday 19th March 2010

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A BENEFIT cheat has escaped prison despite swindling £48,000 in bogus claims over a 10-year period.

Anne Addison, aged 55, admitted pilfering the money by taking housing benefit, council tax and income support payments she wasn’t entitled to, Warrington Crown Court heard on Friday.

Orford resident Addison started making legitimate claims as a single person living on her own in 1995, but two years later her husband moved into her house on Alder Lane.

However, single person claims, however, continued, according to prosecution barriste Francis Hertzog.

She said: “This was benefit fraud and a living together scam.”

The court heard how the thousands of pounds Addison fraudulently claimed were revealed by an anonymous tip-off. A ‘plethora’ of evidence, including a TV licence and bank account details, confirmed that Addison and husband Neil were living together in Orford with Mr Addison earning £21,000 a year.

On arrest Addison told police that her husband had stayed at the Alder Lane house at weekends but that the couple did not live together as man and wife.

She later admitted dishonesty but said that she had an abusive relationship with her partner and that he would not let her cancel the welfare payments that were being claimed in her name.

The couple still live together with defence barrister Simon Berkson saying: “It appears the defendant is still under his spell.”

Judge David Hale told the court that revelations of the abusive relationship put the case into an ‘entirely different light’.

When sentencing Addison to a 12-month community supervision order, he added: “It is monstrous there is no power to prosecute this man.

“You were required by your husband not to stop these payments.

“With no income of your own he said if you stopped the money being paid out you wouldn’t get any money from him.

“Your husband should be in the dock with you as he is also responsible.”

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