Golfer Cheats £26K from DWP but gets 6 Months Jail
Victoria Austin reports in the Daily Star, today, that a man who pocketed £26,000 in disability benefits while winning golf tournaments has been jailed for six months.
Alan Bannister exaggerated his arthritis for eight years and was given top-rate payouts reserved for people unable to walk, a court heard.
The former mechanical engineer, 56, claimed he could not hold a saucepan or peel potatoes, and said it took him 15 minutes to walk 50 metres. But secret footage was taken of Bannister lifting a bag of clubs before launching a 240-yard drive from the first tee and approaching the 18th hole four hours later.
Bannister, of Barry, was found guilty of obtaining money transfers by deception at Cardiff Crown Court.
Jailing Bannister yesterday, Recorder David Miller described his actions as a “blatant” fraud.
“Mr Bannister has justifiably been driven into the ‘rough'”
Reblogged this on Will the real reality please stand up!.
Reblogged this on 61chrissterry and commented:
These fraudulent benefit claimants create a measure of distrust for the genuine benefit claimants, for some people will believe if one claim is fraudulent then most others will be so. This is especially so if the propaganda being released from some Government sources and then repeated on the media is believed by some in the UK.