Llandovery man sentenced
A Llandovery man wrongly claimed almost £20,000 in benefit while selling scrap metal for a living.
Duncan Harold McKenzie-Tolhurst was prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council and the Department for Work and Pensions and pleaded guilty to charges under Social Security Administration Act 1992 of making false statements and failing to declare changes in circumstances.
Carmarthen Magistrates Court was told that housing and council tax benefit was awarded on the basis that 60-year-old McKenzie-Tolhurst was in receipt of income support for himself and his wife at a privately rented property in Rhandirmwyn.
McKenzie-Tolhurst was stopped routinely in Ammanford on July 11, 2008, as part of Operation Beagle, a multi-agency exercise involving Carmarthenshire County Council Environmental Services and Housing Benefit Investigations Section, Department for Work & Pensions and Dyfed-Powys Police. This involved the stopping and checking of vehicles/drivers and passengers carrying waste/scrap metal.
McKenzie-Tolhurst was stopped in a vehicle and questioned by Benefit Investigators. It was subsequently established that that he was in receipt of benefit and had not declared any earnings/work on his benefit claims. Enquiries revealed that McKenzie-Tolhurst had sold scrap metals on 172 occasions.
The court was told that he was overpaid £19,723.23, consisting of £718.54 housing benefit, £221.06 council tax benefit and £18,783.93 income support.
McKenzie-Tolhurst, of Galltybere, Rhandirmwyn, was sentenced to a 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months and a supervisory order for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay £75 costs in addition to having to repay the overpayment.
Duncan Harold McKenzie-Tolhurst was prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council and the Department for Work and Pensions and pleaded guilty to charges under Social Security Administration Act 1992 of making false statements and failing to declare changes in circumstances.
Carmarthen Magistrates Court was told that housing and council tax benefit was awarded on the basis that 60-year-old McKenzie-Tolhurst was in receipt of income support for himself and his wife at a privately rented property in Rhandirmwyn.
McKenzie-Tolhurst was stopped routinely in Ammanford on July 11, 2008, as part of Operation Beagle, a multi-agency exercise involving Carmarthenshire County Council Environmental Services and Housing Benefit Investigations Section, Department for Work & Pensions and Dyfed-Powys Police. This involved the stopping and checking of vehicles/drivers and passengers carrying waste/scrap metal.
McKenzie-Tolhurst was stopped in a vehicle and questioned by Benefit Investigators. It was subsequently established that that he was in receipt of benefit and had not declared any earnings/work on his benefit claims. Enquiries revealed that McKenzie-Tolhurst had sold scrap metals on 172 occasions.
The court was told that he was overpaid £19,723.23, consisting of £718.54 housing benefit, £221.06 council tax benefit and £18,783.93 income support.
McKenzie-Tolhurst, of Galltybere, Rhandirmwyn, was sentenced to a 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months and a supervisory order for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay £75 costs in addition to having to repay the overpayment.
Comments