Benefits cheat mum who lied about MS battle to swindle £22k exposed by OWN running posts on Facebook
CAUGHT OUT
Fraudster must now pay back cash or faces jail
A BENEFITS cheat mum who lied about her MS fight to swindle more than £20,000 was caught out by her own running posts on Facebook.
Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but exaggerated the extent of her condition in 2020.
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The mum-of-three said she was unable to stand at her cooker or get out of a bath unassisted in order to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Morris also claimed she was so anxious to leave the house that even a trip to the pharmacy would leave her in tears.
She raked in £2,292.63 in PIP a month - totalling £20,528.83 in a three-year period.
But Morris failed to mention to the DWP that she was a member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly ran 5km and 10km races.
Her web of lies was exposed by her own Facebook posts that showed her competing in difficult races, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard.
A probe was launched and investigators found Morris had taken part in 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022.
She previously was jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit.
Morris now been ordered to pay back £22,386.02 within 28 days or serve nine months in prison in default.
The court heard investigators carried out surveillance on Morris from February 5 to February 20, 2023.
Prosecutor Regan Walters said: "On February 5 she took part in a five-mile race and was seen running without assistance and showed no signs of balance problems.
"On February 11 she was seen running with the Stone Master Marathoners and showed no signs of discomfort."
Morris was interviewed in May 2023 and claimed her MS had worsened and she was suffering from fatigue.
But she admitted being a member of Stone Master Marathoners running club prior to making her claim.
Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Morris was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago and the "severity of its impact ebbs and flows to a degree".
He told the court she did not use the money for a lavish lifestyle but instead to "keep her head above water financially" when her marriage broke down.
Mr Morris added: "The application did not give the full picture. She did say running was one of the ways she tried to manage her MS.
"She has found it difficult to come to terms with her dishonesty."
As well as the £22,000 the judge ordered her to pay, Morris must hand over a £187 surcharge.
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