Law Firm's Bean-Counter Sentenced For £12K Benefit Fraud

A financial controller with a solicitor's firm kept his job a secret from his local council during a £12,000 benefits swindle in which they paid his rent and waived community charge payments.

Lee Graham, 56, (pictured) whose original £10 a-week compensation offer was rejected by Isleworth Crown Court was told to start making arrangements to immediately pay back the money, which would have taken twenty-three years under his plan.

Graham, of Warwick Road, Earl's Court pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement on October 19, 2007 to obtain benefit from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

He received £10,655 in housing benefit and £1,325 in council tax benefit while earning up to £2,000 per month on a self-employed basis with Marylebone solicitors Julian Young & Co.

Graham was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, which includes 150 hours community service work, and a £1,200 compensation order was made.

He admitted the offences months earlier and on that occasion was told to stop feeling sorry for himself, find employment, and start repaying the money.

"He plainly has skills and works in the middle of London and there are a host of people out there looking to employ people with Mr. Graham's skills so he could pay compensation if he wanted to," said Judge Robert Winstanley.

"I am looking for conduct that shows he is willing to make financial reparations," added Judge Winstanley. "I will defer sentence in the expectation that Mr. Graham will find a job and do so in a realistic time."

Prosecutor Mr. Paul Sharkey told the court Graham's jobseekers allowance claim was legitimate when it began in 2004 and the rent and council tax bills on his housing association flat was covered by the local authority.

After learning he was working the council wished to interview the defendant, but he failed to turn up to speak to investigators at the town hall on three separate occasions.

Graham's lawyer Mr. James Dennis said his client returned to work after caring for his now-deceased mother and because his confidence was low did not come off benefits.

"He was not sure how it was going to work out and he decided, very stupidly, not to inform the local authority. It snowballed and he buried his head in the sand.

"The sums earned were relatively modest, but he should have declared them. He was not living an extravagant lifestyle.

"Mr. Graham is not claiming benefits or working anymore and relies in friends to get by. He is a man of very little means.

"He realises this is money that has to be paid back and he wants to pay the money back, but his financial circumstances are what they are."