Mother jailed for fraud charges

A mother-of-five from Wakefield has been jailed after fraudulently claiming nearly £60,000 in tax credits.

Leeds Crown Court heard how Carol Margaret Kirman had claimed she was a single mother when she was actually living with her husband.

Kirman, 35, of Mill View, Alverthorpe, pleaded guilty to fraud totalling £59,891 from 2003 to 2007.

Kirman, who had also not told the authorities the full extent of her own income, was jailed for nine months.

'Serious crime'

Summing up, Recorder Simon Hickey said: "This was a prolonged and deliberate case of fraud and it is a fraud on honest taxpayers.

"The tax system depends on people being honest when they complete forms."

Officers investigating the case said the funds stolen by Kirman were actually much higher when the amount of interest accrued was taken into account.

Geoff Pymm, senior investigating officer for HM Revenue and Customs, said: "Tax credit fraud is a serious crime and this sentence will send out a strong message to others who are tempted to try and cheat the tax credits system."