A Dundee mum caught pocketing more than £15,000 of benefits to which she was not entitled has been spared a prison sentence.
Shona Fletcher, 39, admitted failing to declare she was staying with her ex-husband at her home on Scrimgeour Place.
Fletcher claimed housing benefit from Dundee City Council but was seen by neighbours maintaining a common household with David Fletcher.
An investigation was launched and the neighbours handed over evidence of Facebook photos and interactions between the couple.
Fletcher pled guilty to failing to report she was sharing a common household with her husband and thereby obtained £15,881.88 to which she was not entitled.
The offence was committed between April 1, 2016 and November 9, 2017 at the address and at the Wellgate Jobcentre.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said: “It’s a serious offence as you know and one where because of the amount of money involved, I have to consider a custodial sentence.
“I also have to consider alternatives I can follow.
“I have decided in these particular circumstances I can go down a non-custodial route.”
Shopped by neighbours
Fiscal depute Lora Apostolova previously revealed how Mr Fletcher’s correspondence address on Companies House was the same as his wife’s.
She told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The accused claimed housing benefit.
“The charge is that the accused’s husband had been maintaining a common household for most of the period of the claim.
“Evidence from two neighbours speak to them living as a family at the address, from Facebook photos and interacting on social media as a couple.
“The accused states that she was aware that she had to advise of any changes.
“She accepts receiving leaflets advising of this.”
‘Feckless’ partner moved back in
Solicitor Jim Laverty, defending, said Fletcher’s relationship with her ex-husband was “unstable” .
“This is a situation that occurs quite often in this court, where the female in the relationship is effectively left holding the ball.
“The male in the relationship could only be described as feckless.
“This would appear to be the situation here, where the parties had divorced.
“There was a tentative reconciliation but she did not know where she stood as he would take himself off for days and weeks at a time.
“She describes the relationship as unstable.”
Mr Laverty added: “Notwithstanding that, she accepts it was her legal responsibility to tell the authorities.”
As an alternative to custody, Fletcher was placed on supervision for 15 months as well as being made subject to a restriction of liberty order.
This will keep her indoors between 7pm and 7am for 12 weeks.
