Woman in 14 children benefit scam

Semple admitted defrauding Revenue and Customs between 2002 and 2006

A woman from East Dunbartonshire has admitted fraudulently claiming £69,150 in benefits for 14 extra children who did not exist.

Catherine Semple told HM Revenue and Customs that her sister had died and she was looking after her children.

The 36-year-old also made up false disabilities for some of the children to qualify for even more money.

She admitted the fraud at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Sentence was deferred and Semple was released on bail.

The court heard that between October 2002 and April 2006 she claimed for four extra children of her own, five foster kids and five of her sister's children - none of whom existed.

Revenue and Customs officials became suspicious about the number of children she was claiming for and carried out an investigation which revealed that she only had two children in her care.

They also discovered that she was lying about the family's income and various disabilities.

She was originally charged with defrauding £94,173.66 but the Crown accepted her guilty plea to the lesser amount.