Interior Designer Forged Employer's Letter During £10,000 Benefit Scam

An interior designer forged a letter from his employers during a £10,000 benefits scam to cover-up his true earnings.

David Gaunt-Newell, 64, of Ludlow Drive, Thame, Oxfordshire purported to earn just £6.50 per hour, but in reality was pocketing an hourly rate of £16.50 for his freelance services.

He received a total of £8,586.38p in housing benefit payments and £1,600.30p in council tax benefit payments while living at an address in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

He pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court to one count of fraud and two counts under the Social Security Administration Act of making false representations to the council.

Gaunt-Newell, who was ruled unsuitable for community service work due to prolapsed discs in his spine, was sentenced to a daily three month electronically-tagged curfew between 7pm and 7am and ordered to pay £1,405 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.


Prosecutor Miss Champa Gurnani told the court today that the defendant handed-in a letter to the town hall to support his claim, but the details regarding his length of freelance employment and hourly rate with the company were incorrect.

The council were suspicious of the claim and contacted the company, who confirmed Gaunt-Newell earned more and had worked for them from July, 2007 until May 2010.

“There was a false date in the letter, which stated his employment finished at an earlier date than that,” added Miss Gurnani. “They said the letter was not prepared by them to be shown to anyone.

“It was purportedly signed by the owner, but that person confirmed that is was not her signature.

“The defendant had obtained that letterhead and committed fraud by using that letterhead for the purpose of obtaining benefits.”

Gaunt-Newell was questioned under caution. “He said he could not remember providing the letter and gave no explanation.

“It was pre-meditated from the outset. He knew what he was dong and it was to gain benefits from the local authority.”

The court heard Gaunt-Newell is making regular payments to compensate the council and agreed to repay the court costs at £100 per week.