Suzanne Gillman, 65, has been sentenced for fraudulently claiming benefits despite being in full time employment at a jewellers, 

Miss Gillman claimed benefits that she was not entitled to over a period of seven years. 

She pled guilty to fraudulently receiving £40,000 Employment Support Allowance between March 2011 and May 2018 and prosecutors dropped a second charge which alleged that Gillman had fraudulently claimed £19,642.86 of housing benefit and £468.48 of council tax benefit.

Her defence agent stated, “I submit that, whilst it is a high figure, there are potentially truly exceptional circumstances for the court to avoid a custodial sentence.

“I think she would struggle with a custodial setting more than others. I ask the court to take that into account.”

The sheriff, when deliver her opinion to the court stated that her behaviour was ‘sustained and deliberate’ and that she had been fraudulently claiming benefits which took way the resource from someone who truly needed it. 

She was sentenced to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. In addition, she was placed on a restriction of liberty order for the duration of one year.