Chiswick Woman Pleads Guilty To Benefit Fraud
Ealing Council prosecutes several people for fraudulent claims
A Chiswick woman was amongst a number of people prosecuted by Ealing Council after almost £170,000 was found to have been fraudulently claimed in benefits.
Helen Cottle, 39, of Cunnington Street, Chiswick, pleaded guilty at Feltham Magistrates’ Court to fraudulently claiming income support and housing and council tax benefit of £7,543 between 8 July 2002 and 31 December 2003.
On 7 August last she received a two year suspended jail sentence and was ordered to pay £3,000 compensation to Ealing Council.
The defendants appeared in the dock for making fraudulent claims of council tax and housing benefit, ranging from £3,411 up to £39,485.
Cllr David Scott, cabinet member for finance and performance, said: “These prosecutions should be a warning to anyone committing fraud that we take this extremely seriously and we will catch up with you. These crooks have not only swindled the council, they have swindled all the hard-working, honest residents of the borough. "
The cases have all been heard in the last three months. They include:
• Roberto Maddalena, 62, of Lexden Road, Acton, pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court
on 11 August, to failing to declare assets and earnings and fraudulently claiming housing and council tax benefits of £11,371.87, between 1996 and 2004. He failed to tell the council that his partner owned two properties and had run a pet shop since July 1996. He was sentenced to a three-month curfew order, meaning he has to stay at home between the hours of 9pm and 7am.
• Donald Irvine, 23, of Dunline House, Gurnell Grove, Ealing, was found guilty at Ealing
Magistrates’ Court on 11 August. He was ordered to pay £349 compensation and £531 costs for fraudulently claiming housing and council tax benefit of £423.95, between 11 November 2003 and 16 January 2004. He was also fined £100 for twice failing to surrender to bail.
• Evelyn Whitehead, 58, of Webb Place, Park Royal, pleaded guilty at West London
Magistrates’ Court on 27 June of fraudulently claiming council tax benefit of £16,603.97 from Ealing Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council between 2002 and 2006. On 25 July she received a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
• Maria Ireland, 50, of Boston Road, Hanwell, pleaded guilty at Acton Magistrates’ Court on 13 July to fraudulently claiming housing benefit of £10,075 between March 2003 and December 2004. She continued to claim housing benefit from an address in Boston Road even after she had vacated it. She obtained the help of Heidi MacKay (see below) to produce false letters about her tenancy and rent. She is due to be sentenced later this week.
• Heidi MacKay, 36, of Glenfield Road, Ealing, pleaded guilty at Acton Magistrates’ Court
on 13 July, to furnishing false documentation for the benefit of Maria Ireland. She is also due to be sentenced later this week.
• Merill De Jong, 66, of Willow Road, Ealing, pleaded guilty at Acton Magistrates’ Court on 13 July to fraudulently claiming housing benefit and council tax of £25,652 between February 1996 and July 2005. He failed to declare his private pension that he started to receive in 1994. He is due to be sentenced later this week.
• Ayad Al-Hadithy, 35, of Alfred Road, Acton, pleaded guilty at Acton Magistrates’ Court on 25 May to fraudulently claiming housing benefit of £3,971 between April 2004 and February 2005. He was conditionally discharged for two years and ordered to pay £3,971 compensation and £670.87 costs.
• Rita Salhotra, 36, of Harp Road, Hanwell, pleaded guilty at Acton Magistrates’ Court on 27 April of fraudulently claiming housing and council tax benefits of £7,766 between 2002 and 2005. She was conditionally discharged for six months and ordered to pay £241.50 costs. She failed to declare she was a student receiving an NHS Bursary when claiming the benefits.
• Saleem Khan, 46, of Radcot Avenue, West Ealing, pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court
on March 16 to fraudulently claiming £11,000 of housing benefits. He was given a 240-hour community punishment order and ordered to repay £10,949 within 56 days. He was also ordered to pay costs of £852.50.
February 19, 2020