Latest news with #Stoke-on-TrentCrownCourt
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Benefits cheat who said she couldn't stand to cook caught after posting 10k run photos on Facebook
A benefits cheat who lied about her multiple sclerosis (MS) to claim more than £20,000 was caught after competing in scores of running events and sharing them on social media. Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005 but in 2020 she exaggerated the extent of her condition and claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The mother-of-three inflated the severity of her MS and also claimed to be so anxious when she left the house that even a trip to the pharmacy to collect her medication left her in tears. She had also claimed that she lacked balance, and was unable to get out of her bath nor stand at her cooker. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she failed to mention to the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was in fact a member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly ran 5km and 10km races. She was caught out by her own Facebook posts of her running. Morris, of Walton Way, Stone, was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. She pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was jailed for eight months last July. During her court case, she accepted that her application 'crossed over into the realms of dishonesty'. She ended up serving nine weeks in total and recently reappeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith was told Morris benefited from her criminality by £22,386.02 and the available amount was £60,000. He ordered Morris to repay £22,386.02 within 28 days or serve nine months in prison in default.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Benefit cheat's lies exposed by her own Facebook posts
A benefits cheat who lied about her MS battle to claim more than £20,000 was caught out by her own running posts on Facebook. Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005, and in 2020 claimed that the severity of her disease had left her unable to stand at the cooker. The mother-of-three also claimed she lacked balance and experienced difficulties in getting out of the bath unassisted. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she was paid £2,292.63 a month in Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and told the Department for Work and Pensions she was anxious about leaving the house, with even a trip to the pharmacy to collect her medication leaving her in tears. But she failed to mention that she was a member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly ran 5km and 10km races, the court heard. She was caught out by her Facebook posts about her running, the court was told. A DWP investigation carried out in Feb 2023 found Morris took part in a five-mile race and was seen running without assistance, showing no signs of balance problems. The investigation uncovered that she competed in 73 races between May 2019 and Dec 2022. Morris, from Stone, Staffordshire, was overpaid £20,528.83 between Oct 20 2020 and April 25 2023. She pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was jailed for eight months last July. Now she has appeared at the same court for a proceeds of crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith was told Morris benefited from her criminality by £22,386.02 and the available amount was £60,000. He ordered Morris to repay £22,386.02 within 28 days or serve nine months in prison in default. Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Morris was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago and the 'severity of its impact ebbs and flows to a degree'. Mr Cliff added: 'But it is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty.' He said Morris's marriage broke down in the spring of 2020, and that she did not enjoy a lavish lifestyle as a result of her fraudulent claim. Mr Cliff said: 'She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially. '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.' Morris was also ordered to pay a £187 surcharge. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Wales Online
Mum who claimed she struggled to get out of bath caught out by Facebook posts of her running
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A deceitful mum who falsely claimed over £20,000 in benefits while participating in numerous running events has been ordered to repay the money. Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but exaggerated her condition in 2020 to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The mother of three lied about the severity of her MS, claiming she lacked the strength to stand at the cooker, had balance issues and struggled to get out of the bath without help. She also claimed that leaving the house caused her such anxiety that even a trip to the pharmacy to collect her medication would reduce her to tears. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that she received £2,292.63 in PIP each month. However, she failed to inform the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was an active member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly participated in 5km and 10km races. Her dishonesty was exposed by her own Facebook posts documenting her running activities. Morris, from Walton Way, Stone, was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. She admitted to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was sentenced to eight months in prison last July, reports Stoke on Trent Live. Now she has reappeared at the same court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith was told Morris benefited from her criminality by £22,386.02 and the available amount was £60,000. He ordered Morris to repay £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." The investigation uncovered that Morris competed in 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022. The defendant was interviewed on May 11, 2023 and she stated her MS had worsened and she was suffering from fatigue. But she confirmed she had been a member of Stone Master Marathoners running club prior to making her claim. She added she filled in her PIP form on her worst day. Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Morris was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago and the 'severity of its impact ebbs and flows to a degree'. Mr Cliff said: "But it is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty." He said Morris's marriage broke down in the spring of 2020. He said Morris did not enjoy a lavish lifestyle as a result of her fraudulent claim. Mr Cliff said: "She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially. "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." Morris must also pay a £187 surcharge. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here Find crime figures for your area
North Wales Live
3 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Live
Mum who claimed she struggled to get out of bath caught out by Facebook posts of her running
A deceitful mum who falsely claimed over £20,000 in benefits while participating in numerous running events has been ordered to repay the money. Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but exaggerated her condition in 2020 to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The mother of three lied about the severity of her MS, claiming she lacked the strength to stand at the cooker, had balance issues and struggled to get out of the bath without help. She also claimed that leaving the house caused her such anxiety that even a trip to the pharmacy to collect her medication would reduce her to tears. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that she received £2,292.63 in PIP each month. However, she failed to inform the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was an active member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly participated in 5km and 10km races. Her dishonesty was exposed by her own Facebook posts documenting her running activities. Morris, from Walton Way, Stone, was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. She admitted to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was sentenced to eight months in prison last July, reports Stoke on Trent Live. Now she has reappeared at the same court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith was told Morris benefited from her criminality by £22,386.02 and the available amount was £60,000. He ordered Morris to repay £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." The investigation uncovered that Morris competed in 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022. The defendant was interviewed on May 11, 2023 and she stated her MS had worsened and she was suffering from fatigue. But she confirmed she had been a member of Stone Master Marathoners running club prior to making her claim. She added she filled in her PIP form on her worst day. Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Morris was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago and the 'severity of its impact ebbs and flows to a degree'. Mr Cliff said: "But it is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty." He said Morris's marriage broke down in the spring of 2020. He said Morris did not enjoy a lavish lifestyle as a result of her fraudulent claim. Mr Cliff said: "She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially. "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." Morris must also pay a £187 surcharge.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Benefits cheat mum ordered to repay €26k after Facebook posts exposed her
A mum who swindled benefits has been told to cough up over €23,000 after her Facebook posts blew her cover. Sara Morris, 50, pocketed the cash while taking part in numerous running events. The mother-of-three was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005. But in 2020, she overstated her symptoms and claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP). She insisted she couldn't stand at her cooker or get out of a bath without help. She also said that even a simple trip to the chemist for her meds left her in tears. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she was raking in £2,292.63 in PIP each month, according to Stoke-on-Trent Live. However, she conveniently forgot to tell the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was actually a member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly ran 5km and 10km races. Her own Facebook posts showing her running were her downfall, reports the Mirror. Morris, from Walton Way, Stone, was overpaid by £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. She admitted to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was put behind bars for eight months last July. She's now been back in court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith heard that Morris had profited by £22,386.02 from her criminal actions. He ordered Morris to repay £22,386.02 within 28 days or face nine months in prison. The court was briefed on surveillance conducted on Morris from February 5 to February 20, 2023. Prosecutor Regan Walters noted: "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." Investigators found that Morris had taken part in 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022. When interviewed on May 11, 2023, Morris claimed her MS symptoms, including fatigue, had worsened. However, she confirmed that she had joined the Stone Master Marathoners running club before filing her claim. She also acknowledged that the PIP form she submitted reflected her condition on her worst day. Defence lawyer Paul Cliff mentioned that Morris has had MS for 19 years and the severity varies over time. He stated: "But it is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty." Cliff revealed that Morris's marriage had deteriorated in early 2020 and dismissed the notion that she led an opulent life through her deceitful claim. "She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially," he 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." Morris is also required to pay a surcharge of £187.
