Benefit fraud pair were caught out on Facebook

8:45am Thursday 17th January 2013 in Local

FRAUD investigators used a social networking site to catch a pair of benefit cheats.

Nicola Derbyshire had claimed housing benefit and jobseekers allowance in Bradley Lane, Bradley Fold, as a single parent since October, 2008.

She had said that her landlord was Adam Heard and that he was living in London.

However, their postings and updates on Facebook showed they were in a relationship and that Derbyshire had moved into Heard’s property at the start of their relationship.

On her Facebook profile, Derbyshire described herself as being married to Heard and she posted photographs of a blessing they arranged with their families present in Cyprus.

Bury Council investigators carried out surveillance and spotted Heard leaving the property to go to work. In June, 2012, Derbyshire was arrested and both she and Heard admitted making false claims for benefit totalling £30,175.

Bury magistrates sentenced Heard, aged 41, to a 12-month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work and a 12-week curfew between 8pm and 5am.

He was ordered to pay £491 costs.

Derbyshire, aged 37, was given a 12-week jail sentence suspended for one year.

She must also do 200 hours’ unpaid work and pay £569 costs.

The couple will also be required to repay all the money they falsely claimed.

Comments(11)

magic dragon says...
10:18am Thu 17 Jan 13

Good work. These kind of people are a drain on the rest of the hard working people of this town. Now can you please catch the fraudster next door who apparently can't work because of ill health but spends his days renovating cars and doing car repairs outside his home. Fraud line have been informed about this on numerous occasions over the last 4 years.

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BWFC1988 says...
12:40pm Thu 17 Jan 13

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

One thing you count on with these sort of people is that greed will eventually be their downfall.

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Mike (USA) says...
5:59pm Thu 17 Jan 13

I agree with coming down on thus type of fraud, but what's with the 8pm-5am curfew for the bloke? What's that got to do with his crime? It's not as if he was out vandalizing at night. Strange sentence?

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gonchbwfc says...
7:25pm Thu 17 Jan 13

haha get it paid back

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Lancashire always says...
10:10pm Thu 17 Jan 13

Sentenced to live with his wife between 8pm and 5am does that woman's torture never end ? bet she will be thinking twice before she considers benefit fraud in the future !

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Citizen Cane says...
10:24pm Thu 17 Jan 13

Hang on - these low life fraudsters DON'T go to prison, they pay £1000 of costs where you can guarantee that the real costs are in the tens of thousands and they only have to pay the amount of the criminal gain back.

Not bad eh? If you fiddled your taxes : possible jail, definite fine of UP TO 100% of the tax due PLUS interest on top.

This evil criminal duo has got away with it very lightly and it is NOT fair on the taxpayer! Wake up Cameron and start penalising harshly the benefit fraud committing scum of the UK.

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smiley111 says...
11:59pm Thu 17 Jan 13

what kinda message does it send to their children? and they probably will never pay all that back :(

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MOANYMUM says...
12:08am Fri 18 Jan 13

Not bad for £30k, pay it back at £2 a week. Cheapest loan u will ever get.

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Janch1 says...
9:50am Fri 18 Jan 13

Are the powers that be going to reclaim all the luxury items these scroungers bought with the £30k Taxpayers money?? Like the latest tv sets, holidays abroad etc. Those are well and truly paid for now with stolen money, no chance on getting that back! The punishment for these kind of crimes is a joke. Wonder if I could get myself a loan for £30k and pay it back interest free at £2 a week?? No chance. I am foolish enough to have worked since leaving school 32 years ago!

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deaghlan says...
12:11pm Fri 18 Jan 13

The greed is what catches these people out but as some one has already said people do get reported but no action takes place. around the corner from here people were running insurance fraud yet when caught a small jail time and still all the fancy cars are left on the drive. but the fine will if they sign on be paid for from benefits. Atos attacks the sick whilst these just rob the system and make life hard for all.

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boltonnut says...
2:33pm Sat 19 Jan 13

If ever I was going to commit a crime I would do it in Bolton.Hit somebody with a claw hammer,steel bar,knife to the throat,muggings, robbery,fraud.These and many more acts of crime much worse,eg. child abuse, spousal abuse have happened in Bolton very recently.Suspended sentences,fines(whic
h they can't pay anyway),community service seem to be the norm in punishments.WHY? and HOW is this happening,I'm absolutly baffled.

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