A Nigerian couple stole the identities of dead babies as they successfully battled to remain in the UK while defrauding their local council’s hardship fund, a court heard today.
Jumoke Brown & Anthony Shodunke
While living double lives and holding down good jobs illegal overstayers Jumoke Brown, 36, and Anthony Shodunke, 51, claimed they were homeless and penniless during the £17,737 fraud.
When their home was raided a blue BMW was parked on the front drive and twenty boxes of new shoes found in Brown’s bedroom, including a £715 pair of Gucci men’s leather loafers.
The previous Christmas a council social worker had delivered a luxury festive hamper to the family-of-five.
However, the pair had told Bexley Council they had no income, bank accounts or assets and survived thanks to the charity of friends, relatives and their local church.
In reality, mother-of-three Brown was a company director with a £70,000 a year turnover and her husband Shodunke had a £27,000-a year job.
They created false identities to obtain employment and open bank accounts, using the details of UK-national babies who died in the 1970’s.
“This is a sophisticated fraud and they used the identities of dead children,” announced Bexley magistrate Jonathon Patterson. “The matter will be sent to the Crown Court, it is too serious for this court.”
The couple were not legally allowed to work or claim benefits while applying for UK residency, but local councils have a legal requirement to financially assist families with children.
Both Brown and Shodunke have now been granted leave to remain in the UK and the entire family are living in a three-bedroom house in Caldy Road, Belvedere, Kent.
Brown pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation between June 5, 2019 and January 31, last year and Shodunke two counts of fraud by false representation on July 4, 2019 and January 1, last year.
They lied in their applications for accommodation and living expenses that they were homeless, having been evicted from a property in Cherbury Close, Thamesmead and had no income or capital.
They lied again, claiming the entire family had lived rent-free in one room, but in reality they had rented the entire four-bedroom, two bathroom Thamesmead house, using their false identities.
Prosecutor Wing-Yan Chan told the court: “Brown presented herself to Bexley Council as homeless and destitute and explained she was a single-mum with children aged eight, eleven and twelve years-old.
“She said she had been in the UK since 1996 and there is no record of any lawful entry, stating she had lived rent-free with friends since 2013 and had no income, assets, vehicle, bank account or assistance from her partner.”
The family were placed in free council accommodation and given £768 per month in council taxpayers’ money to live on.
Their three children would also give them housing points, potentially jumping the council-housing queue over people who have lived in the UK for generations.
The council became suspicious when Brown claimed she could not remember the name of the friend who put her up in the spare room of her Thamesmead home.
In reality, there was no friend, the property having been rented by both defendants in the false identities of the deceased children, Janet Brown and James Brown.
An investigation revealed she had shown the letting-agent a £24,000-year wage slip and had put a £3,450 deposit down on the BMW, all in the name of Janet Brown.
She also made regular cash payments into her company bank account, which had received funds of £54,000 and where she was listed as a ‘Business Analyst.’
“Brown used her company bank account like a personal account, paying her Sky bill, buying clothing, Ted Baker shoes and a trip to WinterWonderland,” said the prosecutor.
During the police raid Brown claimed the BMW was her cousin’s and investigators also found her storage locker, containing twelve years of incriminating financial records and income history.
“She also denied that the shoes were hers and that she had been spending Bexley money on shoes,” added Ms Chan.
Shodunke was also a registered company director, running ‘Brown Consultancy Ltd.’ and investigators found multiple statements from various banks.
Once he obtained legal residence in the UK he immediately began claiming Universal Credit.
“They deliberately misled Bexley Council about their circumstances and used false identities to conceal their true identities,” said Ms Chan.
Brown’s lawyer told the court she was of good character, having never been in trouble during twenty-five years in the UK and Shodunke was also described as of good character.
The couple were both bailed to be sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on a date to be fixed.
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