A 62-year-old woman lied about being terminally ill with ovarian cancer to obtain nearly £23,000 in state benefits, a court heard today.
Joan Lesley Clarke told the DWP that she was terminally ill with the disease and in later claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) stated that she was undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and drug treatment.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Mon) that she now admits her assertions were untrue and a judge warned her that all sentencing options will be open. “That does include an immediate custodial sentence,” said Judge David Aubrey, KC.
“You have been dishonest to the Department of Work and Pensions and thus been dishonest to the public at large and also dishonest to this court on previous occasions.”
Clarke, who committed the offences in Warrington, but now of Blinkhorn Grove, St Helens, had previously repeatedly denied the allegations against her and had been due to face trial later this month but she changed her pleas to guilty today.
She admitted eight offences involving fraud, making or supplying articles for use in fraud and acquiring criminal property. The offences took place between January 2016 and April 2019 in Warrington.
Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, said that the amount involved in the charges totalled just under £23,000.
The fraud charges involve declaring on a PIP claim form in March 2016 that she “was suffering from cancer and the prognosis was terminal.”
In November of that year, she lied in a PIP award review claim that she “was undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and drug treatment.”
The following July she supplied a false letter from Clatterbridge Cancer Centre for use in fraud and in January 2018 she stated that her medical condition had worsened and she was undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and drug treatment.
Judge Aubrey pointed out that on previous occasions “notwithstanding” the overwhelming evidence that the defendant was not suffering from the illness she had told the DWP about she maintained she was and was still pleading not guilty.
Martyn Walsh, defending, said, “She accepts the prosecution case.”
Judge Aubrey asked him to clarify that she had not suffered and was not suffering from ovarian cancer, as she had claimed, and had never undergone treatment.
“I understand that is the position” replied Mr Walsh. His request for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service was granted and Clarke was further remanded on unconditional bail until October 27.
