Benefit fraudster

A LERWICK woman who obtained more than £3,000 by lying to the council and the social security office was ordered to carry out 70 hours of community service at the town’s sheriff court on Thursday.

Theresa Manson, aged 22, of 6 Norgaet, pled guilty to telling the Lerwick Job Centre and Shetland Islands Council that she was unemployed when she was in fact earning a wage.

The offences took place over different periods between 5 June 2009 and 2 March 2012.

The court heard that between June and October 2009 Manson was given unemployment benefits worth £476.95, and a further £1,469.87 between April 2010 and March 2012, when she was working.

Between July 2011 and February 2012 she was also given housing benefit worth £923.23 and council tax benefit of £221.22 unlawfully.

Defence agent Tommy Allan told the court that Manson had been paying back the money she had taken at the rate of £3 a week.

He added that she had enrolled at Shetland College to study for highers and intended to continue to university to study criminology.

Sheriff Philip Mann said defrauding social security was a serious matter, but he did not feel it necessary to send her to jail.