A benefits cheat who claimed to be a single mum to scam more than £22,000 in handouts has avoided a jail term.
Lynette Downie told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) she had separated from lorry driver husband, Alec, in 2008, leaving her a single mother-of-two.
However, the pair later got back together and she was caught out when investigators found pictures of her in fancy dress with her husband on Facebook.
She kept up the lie 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 from the scam.
Downie 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. They found pictures of them together at a Murrayfield rugby match and on a family holiday in Bulgaria during the time they claimed to be separated.
Depute fiscal 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.
Alec Downie was 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.”
“When he was interviewed he initially denied supporting her financially but later admitted he had paid for car insurance and loans.
Downie, 41, of Finlaggan Terrace, 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.
“Her husband has taken a loan of £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.”