Army Compo Winner Swindled Thousands Of Pounds In Benefits

Bus Selfie: Debique

An ex-British Army soldier, who won a £17,000 landmark pay-out from the armed forces after winning a sex and race discrimination case, went on to immediately swindle thousands in benefits while receiving student grants and loans.

Single-mum Tilern Debique, 33, was overpaid £9,309.94 in income support, jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit and her punishment will be to stay indoors every night for the next three months - something she does anyway.

Prosecutor Miss Mary Lawrenson told Wimbledon Magistrates Court: "She was claiming income support as the parent of one dependant child, a daughter, and this meant she was also entitled to housing and council tax benefit.

"An investigation identified her as being in full-time education at the London Metropolitan University and in receipt of a student loan."

Former Corporal Debique, who was a systems engineer in the British Army between 2001 and 2008 with 10 Signal Regiment and now works in IT, graduated with a degree in Business Information Technology and Business Law in 2013.

"She said she was studying, but it was part-time and thought she did not have to declare it. She failed to notify a change of circumstances."

Debique, originally from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, took the Army to an Employment Tribunal after an incident when she failed to appear on parade one day because she had to look after her daughter.

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Her commanding officer told her the Army was a: "war-fighting machine" and: "unsuitable for a single mother, who couldn't sort out her childcare arrangements."

She won the case, plus a race discrimination claim because she was not allowed to bring over her half-sister to look after her child, but received far less than she wanted.

Debique originally claimed £473,535 for loss of earnings; £325,160 for loss of Army benefits; £315,562 for loss of pension rights; £10,000 in aggravated damages, plus £18,000 for "hurt feelings."

District Judge James Henderson said: "This was initially a genuine claim and I do not think it crosses the custody threshold."

Debique has repaid approximately £1,000 so far and Mr. Henderson added: "I don't think a fine is appropriate because she is using a lot of money to pay this back and is likely to lose her job.

"You are not suitable for unpaid work because you have a daughter to look after," he told her. 

"I give you full credit for pleading guilty to these offences and I am quite satisfied it was because you were in  difficult financial situation and the time and not high living."

Debique was sentenced to a three-month community order with a daily electronically-tagged evening curfew between 9pm and 6am and was ordered to pay £85 costs, plus a £60 victim surcharge.

She told the court there was no need for her to go out in the evenings and that once she collects her daughter from school she stays in for the rest of the night.

Debique swindled £6,581.87 in income support and jobseeker's allowance from the Department of Work & Pensions and £2,728.07 from Wandsworth Borough Council in housing and council tax benefit.

"You have a payment plan in place so I am not going to order compensation," added Mr. Henderson. "I don't think it is appropriate to send you to prison, but if you breach the order that may become a possibility."

Debique, of Delia Street, Earlsfield pleaded guilty to four counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances between September 7, 2010 and July 7, 2013 and dishonestly making a false statement on June 7, 2012.