A Pembroke Dock woman who admitted benefit fraud by claiming over £31,000 in payments over a 12-year period has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Fifty-three-year-old Julie Ann Hearn, of Hamilton Court, admitted five counts of dishonestly failing to notify the authorities of a change of circumstances that would affect her entitlement to benefit payments; and three counts of making false statements to obtain claims, when she appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Ellie Morgan told the court that between April 2002 and September 2104, Ms Hearn had made a number of types of claims, ranging from - income support, jobseekers allowance, employment and support allowance, housing and council tax benefits.

“£31,174.74 was the total amount. She is a woman of clean character, but these claims were fraudulent from the beginning, as she failed to declare that she had been in receipt of an occupational pension since 1992,” explained Ms Morgan.

Defence solicitor, Mr. Mark Layton told the court that his client had essentially been receiving £267 per month more than she should have.

“The money was used for day to day expenses, and there were no luxury holidays to the Caribbean or money spent on leading a lavish lifestyle - her major outgoing was to feed her dog and herself,” he said.

A report from the probation service stated that Ms Hearn suffered from arthritis and asthma, and also with memory loss issues.

She regretted her actions, the court was told.

Magistrates told Ms Hearn that these were very serious offences, which carried an imprisonable punishment, before sentencing her to a 40-week prison term, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £100 victim surcharge.