Lye man jailed for £35k benefit fiddle

9:55am Monday 6th October 2008

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A 50-year-old Lye father of five has been put behind bars for nine months for fiddling over £35,000 in benefits.

Ali Aksar claimed income support together with housing and council tax benefits after telling the Department of Works and Pensions he only owned his home in Cemetery Road.

But Aksar also owned the house next door and over a period between May 2002 and March 2004 he was paid a total of £35,790 in benefits to which he was not entitled.

Aksar admitted six charges of making a false representation to obtain benefits and he was told by Judge John Warner prison was the only option.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday October 3, the Judge said: “You falsely claimed a lot of money over a long period of time, only a prison sentence is appropriate.”

Benjamin Nicholls, prosecuting, said: “He had been the freehold owner of the other property since 1999 and Land Registry documents showed he held the title.

“When he was interviewed after his arrest he said he was unaware of the requirements to declare the property and he stressed his knowledge of English was not good.”

Wlbert Harris, defending, Aksar who has been living in the country for 37 years said the second property was uninhabitable.

He told the court that Aksar had his own medical problems, he was also the 100 per cent carer for his wife who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and a custodial sentence would create major difficulties.

The Judge was told Aksar was now facing a further hearing on January 14 to investigate his assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.