A BENEFITS cheat who fraudulently claimed £20,000 of tax credits after falling into debt escaped a prison sentence this week.

Sheryl Brown, 36, of White Threshes Road, Cowdenbeath, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday after previously admitting that she was knowingly concerned in fraudulent activity undertaken with a view of obtaining payments of working tax credit and child tax credit between December 27, 2014 and October 5, 2016.

She had claimed she was a single parent and lived alone with dependent children when she was living with a man who was in employment and therefore obtained £20,000 by fraud.

Defence solicitor, Sarah Meehan, said her client, a mum of two, appeared as a first offender.

“It goes without saying that due to the serious nature of the offence and the high value involved, Miss Brown appreciates that a custodial sentence maybe at the forefront of the Court’s mind,” she said.

“She has been extremely candid in her explanation. This offence really occurred as she had fallen into significant debt. She accepts she knew she was required to tell the DWP about the change in her circumstances and accepts she did not because she was struggling financially.

“Essentially this offence was motivated by the desire to provide for her two children. Due to debt she had managed to accumulate, she was struggling to make ends meet. She accepts that there was a significant degree of planning in this offence.

“She has expressed a great deal of remorse and regret for her behaviour.”

Ms Meehan said Brown had made efforts to contact the DWP about a repayment plan in her efforts to try and recompense for her actions.

“She remains in employment and is thought of highly by her employers,” she added.

“It appears that this type of behaviour is out of character for her. She is terrified of the prospect of being sent to custody. It is clearly a very serious matter but perhaps other options are available rather than send her to custody.”

Sheriff Craig McSherry told Brown that because of the sum involved, his guidance said a custodial sentence would “appear to be inevitable” unless there are exceptional circumstances.

He told her: “I am taking your other circumstances into account. Your family circumstances, the circumstances regarding family and employment and also your remorse and regret and your offers to repay the DWP.”

As a direct alternative to custody, he placed her on a restriction of liberty order for nine months requiring her to be in her home between 9pm and 6.30am.

He also put her on a community payback order requiring her to do 200 hours of unpaid work within nine months.

“I stress this is a direct alternative to a custodial sentence so if there is a breach of this, it is likely the case will come back in front of me and I will have no alternative to a custodial sentence,” he added.