Dundee benefit cheat dodges jail sentence
Woman who claimed £22,000 she wasn't entitled too
A benefit cheat from Dundee who said she was a single mum to claim over £22,000 in handouts has dodged jail - after investigators found pictures of her in fancy dress with her husband on Facebook.
Lynette Downie told the Department for Work and Pensions she had separated from husband Alec in 2008, leaving her a single mother-of-two.
But when they got back together in September 2009 she continued to claim to be single for four years until finally telling benefits chiefs they had got back together.
Between September 2009 and July 2013 she raked in £22,083.40.
Downie today dodged a jail term after her lawyer told the court the maximum sentence was six months - and that due to her early plea and delays in bringing the case to court she would only spend weeks in jail if imprisoned.
The court was told as part of the investigation DWP staff looked at the pair's Facebook page - and found pics of them together at a Murrayfield rugby match and on a family holiday in Bulgaria during the time they claimed to be separated.
One picture, of the pair in fancy dress at a party showing Mr Downie dressed as Sloth from the cult 80s movie The Goonies, remains Alec Downie's Facebook profile picture to this day.
Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the court that the fraud came to light after Dundee City Council, DWP and HMRC started a joint "data matching" exercise.
That threw up discrepancies held in data about Downie and her family.
A probe then began - uncovering the couple's financial links throughout the scam.
Alec Downie was then interviewed by investigators and lied to them, saying they hadn't got back together until 2013.
Miss Bell said: "On discussion of the evidence he indicated they had perhaps reconciled earlier, and said he had lied to try to help the accused."
She added: "During the period of her claim she completed numerous documents stating she was single. However, the investiation revealed they had car and life insurance together, his bank documents were sent to the accused's address, he had applied for loans stating he had lived at the address for over 15 years and Facebook images were found of them together during the period of the libel. They had gone on a family holiday together to Bulgaria in 2012. When he was interviewed he initally denied supporting her financially but later admitted he had paid for car insurance and loans. He later indicated they had perhaps reconciled earlier than he had originally said.
"He said he had lied to try to keep the accused out of trouble."
Downie, from Dundee, pleaded guilty on summary complaint to a charge under the Tax Credits Act committed between September 24 2009 and July 20 2013.
Kris Gilmartin, defending, said: "The money she claimed was the money she should have been demanding from her husband in the first place. She decided not to inform the DWP that he had moved back in and that was her greatest folly. Her husband has taken a loan of POUNDS 10,000 which is offered as compensation. She has lost her job as a result of this case but when she finds new employment she will contact DWP to make repayments. They will get their money back."
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC imposed a community payback order with 200 hours' unpaid work and imposed a £10,000 compensation order.
She said: "This is a significant offence, defrauding the DWP of £22,000. However, in the unusual circumstances I can impose a community payback order."