Another suspended sentence for thief turned benefit cheat
SHE has stolen from her employers and defrauded the taxpayer – but despite a 15-year record of dishonesty, a mother-of-two has been spared prison again.
Hayley Toogood was in breach of a suspended sentence for fraud when she falsely claimed around £3,500 of housing and council tax benefits from South Gloucestershire Council last year. Toogood – previously known as Hayley Wilkins – was still claiming despite having three different jobs to pay off her debts.
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Hayley Wilkins leaves Bristol Crown Court.
Three years ago she was given a one-year suspended jail sentence for stealing £13,000 from her former employer, Patchway Labour Club.
Her latest offences put her in breach of that suspended sentence, which would normally mean she would be sent to jail. But a judge yesterday gave her another chance, after hearing she was "a very diligent and valued employee" by two of the firms she was working for while falsely claiming benefits.
It was thanks to letters to the court from Bristol Blue Glass and Euro Services Ltd that Toogood walked free from Bristol Crown Court.
The 48-year-old was instead given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, plus 150 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,000 court costs. Judge Michael Longman warned her she would be jailed if she breached her latest suspended sentence.
Toogood, of Cogan Road, Soundwell, previously pleaded guilty to four offences of false representation and one of failure to notify of a change of circumstances.
Alan Fuller, prosecuting, said the total amount falsely claimed was a "relatively modest" £3,492 but was obtained over a 16-month period. Toogood was claiming housing and council tax benefit but failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions when her circumstances changed. She made a number of claims in 2010 that contained false details, he said.
Although she admitted she was working part time with Euro Services Ltd as an accounts manager, she declared a lower salary than she was earning. Toogood also had two other book keeper jobs she did not declare. One was for Bristol Blue Glass, where she earned £165 a week, and the other was for a London-based company, for £200 a month.
The court heard her offending dated back to 1997, when she was convicted of false accounting. In 2004 she was convicted of using false instruments for stealing cheques from her employer and cashing them. And in 2009 she was given a one-year sentence, suspended for two years, for the Patchway Labour Club fraud.
She was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work. But this was cut in half after she said she could not work in a charity shop because it involved standing up, and she suffers from back problems.
She has since completed the reduced hours but has only paid back £1,800 of the money she owes.
Rosie Walsh, defending, explained to the court her client had been landed with debts from personal relationships.
She said: "In 2002 she was in a relationship with a partner who died of a drug overdose. They had financial problems, which left her £40,000 of debt she has slowly and painfully been paying back.
"She has two grown-up children aged 18 and 22. The son got himself into trouble and spent time in prison for drugs offences. Since his release he's been addressing his behaviour and is back in his mother's house.
"He is effectively a dependent and she wants to be there for him to keep him on the straight and narrow.
"Unfortunately she had another misguided relationship with a partner with a severe gambling problem that ended last year.
"It is not an excuse."
Judge Longman ordered a review in three months to make sure payments were being met and unpaid work carried out.
27 Comments
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by cligster
Sunday, February 12 2012, 10:12PM
“I really do wish that the evening post would do their research properly. They fail to mention to god awful operations she had on her back last year which is why she couldnt stand up for long. Also she has 3 sons. Id also like to assume your all fantastic looking supermodels without an ounce of fat etc. I very much doubt it. She has been to hell and back with previous relationship and ive had to watch her go through it. If she was to go to prison, not only could she not pay back money, on release she wouldnt be able to get a job, be on the dole and no one would get their money back. As for patchway i think you will find they are not angels when it comes to the money sid eof things. As for the article saying she had to work in a charity shop i would think thats sugests a little light work in a corner shop but it was far from it, it was in a warehouse sorting clothes out etc which is not going to be easy if you have major back problems. None of you "amazingly perfect" people obviously have never had to worry about this sort of thing. I love this whole our money nonsense too. Jeez im sure shes paid enough tax in her life to cover what shes ahd back. Are you implying that the people who get benefits who dont earn enough yo psy tax anr stealing YOUR money too?? In which case lock me up and throw away the key but explain to my young child why her mummy isnt there. With every story there are 2 sides and with the lack of help with a poorly written article you dont get the full truth.”
by Kyngsmeadboy
Thursday, February 09 2012, 8:26PM
“Benefit cheat stories really bug me. Does anybody out there know what the ratio of claimants to checkers might be? I reckon one benefit checker to about 60 claimants would be a good idea. The checkers job would be to look at their allocated 60 regularly to see if claims are accurate and any changes in circumstances. Also in this story, 3 companies employed this woman, were they not paying insurance, tax etc?, wouldn't they know her National Insurance number and wouldn't this be cross referenced by someone somewhere. Were her two children claiming any sorts of benefits? If yes, would that affect council tax? I am sure there's a clever person out there with the answers.”
by Kyngsmeadboy
Thursday, February 09 2012, 8:02PM
“Joning ~ Don't beat about the bush, what do you think of her?”
by joning
Thursday, February 09 2012, 7:32PM
“The fat pig.”
by kingswoodkid
Thursday, February 09 2012, 6:28PM
“yes it is a joke , and who in there right mind will hire her to book keep ??? she should be made to pay everything back and do her time in prison , the judge must have a screw loose , and as for keeping her son out of trouble how can she do this she cant even keep herself out”
by laner73
Thursday, February 09 2012, 6:22PM
“@maximus2012
"but is that due to having to pay extortionate prices for basic human requirements like food and shelter for her family"
I am sorry but have you read the article or just the comments? As if you read the article you will see she has large debts and what was she feeding her family? Was it drugs for her son and dead partner or was it for bookie slips for her other partner. There is no mention of the current climate making her do it.
With regards to the Patchway fraud she was changing the Sweb cheques to S.webb (her junkie sons name).
Society never drove her do this as i am part of society and I have not been like most others driven to that.”
by shaun1964
Thursday, February 09 2012, 6:17PM
“imagine how much damage this woman does to the ozone layer every time she farts.”
by shaun1964
Thursday, February 09 2012, 6:03PM
“no doubt if this theif and benifit cheat appears again in front of the court,she will be again let off.she should have gone down after all, she was in breach of a suspended sentance? a spell in prison may help with her eccessive weight issues.”
by Maximus2012
Thursday, February 09 2012, 4:16PM
“Look at the fine mess money gets us in to once again.
This person may have gained money in a fraudulent way, but is that due to having to pay extortionate prices for basic human requirements like food and shelter for her family, is it to re-pay "debt" created by an entirely different person who is a separate entity, or is it purely down to personal greed? Look at the way our society has influenced the way this person acts. Also, look at the way our society influences the way people react to such an act...."She should go to jail for stealing "OUR" money", "She is scum", "How many pies has she stolen?" She should "suffer in prison" etc.
All of this for a bit of printed paper? What a mess we humans are in.
Cue the responses – yes, but Maximus, money makes the world go round and is intrinsic to our lives. Without it we cannot survive. If you believe that, you are a moron.”
by flossy666
Thursday, February 09 2012, 2:35PM
“At last, thank you dungbob, someone with intelligence. And as for comments regarding weight im guessing your all super skinny!!!”