Benefit cheat claimed her partner was dead to swindle taxpayers out of £100k over 15 years
Wendy Robinson, 52, later said David Spite was her brother before finally admitting illegally claiming benefits
A BENEFITS cheat claimed her partner was dead for 15 years in a £98,388 fraud.
Wendy Robinson, 52, and the dad of her daughters were still living together as “brother and sister”.
Robinson claimed to be a single parent in rented housing but she and David Spite also bought two houses together in the West Midlands.
The wheelchair-using mum pretended to be more disabled than she was and regularly visited a leisure centre.
Prosecutor Henry Skudra said: “She claimed her partner was dead and then said he was her brother.
“She persisted with the deception until the day of her trial.”
Robinson, of Goole, East Yorks, admitted illegally claiming benefits and judge Patrick Thomas told her: “You have lied, lied and lied.”
She got an 18-month prison term suspended for two years at Birmingham crown court, with a warning that more lies about her health would mean jail.
Similarly, mum Kelly Thorburn, 40, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, scammed £42,000 by falsely claiming to be single but avoided a jail sentence after agreeing a payback deal that could take 28 years.