A window cleaner falsely stated he had agoraphobia so he could illegally claim more than £70,000 in benefits, a court heard yesterday.
John Booth, 63, said he was unfit to work over a 14 year period due to his various ailments but in fact was actively doing his rounds to homes in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow.
Appearing at Preston Crown Court, Booth was handed a 28 week jail term suspended for two years. Booth, who had previously lived in Wilmslow but now resides in Chorley, Lancashire, began his scam in April 1994 after previously claiming invalidity benefit for 12 years because of depression.
When he began work again on his cleaning business he failed to notify the authorities of his change in circumstances. He then went on to falsely claim a string of unemployment benefits despite continuing to clean windows in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Stockport and Poynton on a regular basis.
Frank Nance, prosecuting, said "He was asked to set out his reasons for incapacity and he said he had agoraphobic anxiety and a fear of being in public places and around people, which simply was a gross distortion of the truth.''
Booth, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of false accounting at an earlier hearing.
Despite clambering up ladders, he submitted on claim forms that he could only walk 50 yards before he needed a rest, regularly suffered panic attacks and could not go out alone.
Booth, who entered the dock with the aid of a walking stick, went on to claim council tax benefit, disability living allowance and pension credit. He did this despite having up to £27,000 in his building society account at one point, which he did not declare, and was in fact married to a woman who had a full-time job, Mr Nance said.
The prosecutor added "An investigation began in 2008 and covert surveillance took place in the summer of that year when he was observed at work as a window cleaner in Wilmslow, climbing ladders.'' Booth was arrested and initially denied any wrongdoing before he later confessed in a second interview.
James Hawks, defending, said his client has already paid back more than half of the £71,500 he swindled and that monies to cover the remaining amount he took was in the hands of Booth's solicitors. A man of previous good character, he had lapsed into dishonesty after previously submitting a legal claim for invalidity benefit.
Mr Hawks added "This is a defendant who has had, and continues to have, genuine difficulties with his health, particularly chronic back pain.'' That pain had not previously stopped him from working, he said. He continued "A considerable amount of the expenditure dishonestly received went to support his son who was a long-time heroin addict who had been running up debts.''
The defendant, who previously lived in Wilmslow and Winsford, was now acting as full-time carer for his ill son, in his 40s, who was recovering from his drug habit. Booth also said he felt under pressure financially from his ex-wife and struggled to meet her lifestyle aspirations.
Passing sentence, Judge Norman Wright told Booth "You have health problems and you are responsible for your adult son. It is right you have now repaid the monies you were never entitled to.'' He said it was those combination of factors which led him to strike a "fine balance'' that a suspended sentence was justified.
"What you committed was not just a fraud on the State but it is a fraud on every one of us because the monies you claimed came out of the public purse that taxpayers have contributed for the welfare of people who properly deserved these monies,'' the judge said.
"Because of what you did, it means people who are genuine disabled all the time have suspicion placed upon them and have to undergo rigorous examinations to try to wheedle out people such as yourself. These monies were not just frittered away. You were able to save up, you were able to help your son and to fund your consumption of cannabis. All this paid by the State.''
Booth was also ordered to abide by a four month 8pm to 7am curfew and ordered to pay £750 prosecution costs.
