Property Owner Collected Rent While Pocketing Housing Benefit During £16K Scam

A benefit cheat, who secretly rented out his own house while living in a London property for free, has escaped prison with a suspended sentence for the £16,000 scam.

Mini-cab driver Akpanolou Etteh, 51, of 200 Oxlow Lane, Dagenham ripped-off the London Borough of Southwark who paid his rent and council tax for nearly three years.

The first-time offender pleaded guilty at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court to two counts of dishonestly making a false statement on September 9, 2008 in relation to housing benefit and council tax benefit by failing to declare he was the freehold owner of the Dagenham property.

Etteh also pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances between August 1, 2009 and June 20, last year by failing to disclose he was in receipt of rental income.

The court heard Etteh and his wife have a young child with another on the way and had applied to be housed by the London Borough of Southwark before buying the Dagenham home.

“He is very remourseful about what he has done,” said Mr. Clive Johnson, defending. “He has indicated that this has been a wake-up call for him.

“He applied for the Southwark property before he bought the Dagenham property and should have informed the council, but he didn't.”

Etteh claims he is currently earning £460 per week and Mr. Johnson added: “He is struggling to pay his mortgage and if he goes into custody his family could lose their home.”

Bench chairwoman Mrs Susan Williams told Etteh: “This is a very serious matter of fraud.”

He was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 200 hours community service.

Etteh will also pay £832 costs, an £80 victim surcharge and the London Borough of Southwark have indicated they will make their own arrangements to recover the lost money.