The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Midge-net disguise of benefit swindler
Court: ‘Take age and behaviour into account’ plea
A PROPERTY developer tried to slip away from court in disguise yesterday after he was fined £1,500 for a benefits scam which netted him almost £25,000.
In bizarre scenes, pensioner Charles Wright put a midge net over his head in a failed bid to escape unnoticed.
The 73-year-old had lied about what he was worth to claim the sum in pension credits – omitting to mention he owned two houses that he has since sold for
“He has been divesting himself of assets to prevent monies being reclaimed”
£300,000. Yesterday, Wright’s solicitor told how his client has now been left with no assets and was legitimately receiving pension credits.
Sheriff William Taylor, sitting at Fort William Sheriff Court yesterday, said a report painted the accused as “someone who is a stranger to the truth” and “perfectly willing to tell lies”.
He added that Wright, of Larch Cottage, Strontian, in Lochaber, had defrauded the public purse of
“a great deal of money”, which he had now repaid.
Hamish Melrose, representing Wright, told the court that all payments “and a bit more” had now beenmadein full to theDepartment ofWork and Pensions (DWP).
Sheriff William Taylor pointed out that the Crown was also pursuing a Proceeds of Crime action againstWright and that the report, which was prepared last year, showed his assets to be around £0.5million.
Mr Melrose said this figure was disputed and fiscal depute Martine Eastwood said the Crown was withdrawing the motion for confiscation.
However, Sheriff Taylor said: “The social inquiry report indicates that he has been divesting himself of assets to prevent any monies being reclaimed.”
Mr Melrose said his client had not been avoiding the proceeds of crime action.
He said: “That was a matter that had started before the false claim was madeand thatwas done on the advice of accountants as a way of avoiding inheritance tax.”
He added that Wright did not disclose his assets to the DWP because he thought he was entitled to the money anyway.
Thedefence solicitor said his client was aware the offence merited a prison sentence, but asked the sheriff to take his age, his reimbursement of the benefits and his previous good behaviour into account.
Wright pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at the Lochaber court to defrauding the DWP of £24,340 by claiming inMarch 2008 he had savings of only £4,000. This enabled him to claim pension credit over the next few years when the truth was that he owned two houses that he later sold for £300,000.
In March, Sheriff Richard Davidson told Wright: “I am not at all happy you have been using the near-£25,000 you unlawfully obtained to wheel and deal in the property market.”
And he ordered him to sell another house in Caol, which he said he had given to his daughter to let out, to finish paying off the money he had claimed fraudulently.
Last month, the court heard this property had been sold and Wright handed in a cheque for morethan £16,000 to cover the outstanding amount.
On that occasion, sentence was deferred to yesterday to allow time for the cheque to clear.
“You have been using the near£25,000 to wheel and deal in property”