11 replies to this topic

[greybeard]

Skydiving Rhondda benefit cheat gets suspended sentence


A woman who was filmed skydiving while claiming sickness benefits has been handed a suspended jail term.

Clare Jones, 38, from Tonypandy, Rhondda, claimed she could only walk 25 metres without crutches, only to be filmed skydiving out of a plane at 12,000 ft (3,657m).

Jones admitted fraudulently claiming £891 in incapacity benefits and £5,125 in disability living allowance.

Jones was told she would have gone to prison without a guilty plea.

Pontypridd magistrate Virginia Osbourne said: "The courts and society take a very dim view of this type of fraud.".

Jones' 12-week sentence was suspended for 12 months.

Earlier, the court heard Jones was so proud of her jump she paid for the professional video which was later used in evidence against her.

She also claimed her back was so painful, she could not stand at the cooker or cut vegetables for her partner and three children.

She was caught out after volunteering to do the tandem jump - attached to an experienced instructor - to raise money for charity.

<a name="story_continues_2">Another parachutist filmed Jones leaping from the aircraft above Swansea Airport and going into a 120mph free fall for 45 seconds.

Jones told benefits officials she was "virtually unable to walk" - and it took her up to 10 minutes to cover 100ft with crutches.

But the court heard she was fit enough to volunteer to do the tandem jump.

The film shows Jones landing comfortably on two feet, smiling and speaking into the camera.

The court heard she was caught after a tip-off to benefits hotline.

She has since repaid the incapacity benefits but still owes the disability living allowance. She was ordered to repay the rest at the rate of £35 a week.

At an earlier hearing, Jones accepted she should have declared her symptoms had improved and notified the authorities of her change in circumstances.

Prosecutor Jonathan Holmes told the court that as well as the sky dive, Jones had visited her gym 40 times using the facilities, swimming pool and sauna.

Jones also owned up to walking to her local social club and dancing while claiming she had severe back problems.

Magistrates heard that Jones worked at a sandwich bar and a restaurant while claiming benefits.

Mr Holmes said: "She took part in the charity skydiving event in Swansea but denied it at first. She said she had never done a jump.

"But inquiries with the company involved revealed she did the jump on November 2, 2008 and it was videoed. It was within nine months as registering as disabled.

"She continued to deny it until she was shown the evidence."

Defending Jones, Owen Thomas said she had done the parachute jump after her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

He said: "The jump is suitable for people with worse disabilities than she has including amputations."

The court heard Jones' father died this week and his funeral is next Tuesday.

Jones was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.


Source:: http://www.bbc.co.uk...-wales-13990987

[mcferguson]

ugh. living like that off the public dole really harms those who have no other choice. at 35 pounds a week, it will take her almost three years to pay back what she stole. i'm glad she got caught. and what is amazing to me is she denied it until she was shown the video. guess its true what they say, prison is full of innocent people.

[greybeard]

 mcferguson, on 01 July 2011 - 02:20 PM, said:

ugh. living like that off the public dole really harms those who have no other choice. at 35 pounds a week, it will take her almost three years to pay back what she stole. i'm glad she got caught. and what is amazing to me is she denied it until she was shown the video. guess its true what they say, prison is full of innocent people.

I agree in this case. It was probably the evidence of her dancing etc on which the prosecution was based.

But my point was that if this UK court decided that someone with a SCI and claiming DLA was not supposed to be able to jump out of a plane, what are the implications for other SCI folks who are doing similar things to raise money for charity.

After-all what is to stop a crip from skydiving or bungee jumping? They are still a crip - probably unable to stand or to work - and still in need of their DLA etc.

Being able to do these things is no proof at all that they are not severely disabled, but this court seems to have viewed it as such, which is worrying.

[mcferguson]

 greybeard, on 01 July 2011 - 03:01 PM, said:

 mcferguson, on 01 July 2011 - 02:20 PM, said:

ugh. living like that off the public dole really harms those who have no other choice. at 35 pounds a week, it will take her almost three years to pay back what she stole. i'm glad she got caught. and what is amazing to me is she denied it until she was shown the video. guess its true what they say, prison is full of innocent people.

I agree in this case. It was probably the evidence of her dancing etc on which the prosecution was based.

But my point was that if this UK court decided that someone with a SCI and claiming DLA was not supposed to be able to jump out of a plane, what are the implications for other SCI folks who are doing similar things to raise money for charity.

After-all what is to stop a crip from skydiving or bungee jumping? They are still a crip - probably unable to stand or to work - and still in need of their DLA etc.

Being able to do these things is no proof at all that they are not severely disabled, but this court seems to have viewed it as such, which is worrying.

Now I see. Yes it is worrying.

[ClaraTaylor]

So long as you can prove you do still need the extra care than sky diving or not you're going to get it I should imagine. It's only that this lady was now "healthy" and cheating her way through the system that she's being punished.

[ajl338]

The benifit people are a bit unpredictable i think. I am really careful and dont put anything on facebook or tag myself in any photos. Who knows what the benifit agency deem reasonable or not. For example I go skiing but claim that I cant walk, which i cant and I sit ski but could easily put on facebook nice day skiing and then the benifits agency start asking questions.

I am really worried if they get they way with the benifit reforms as they are based on what you can and cant do with all the adaptations included. So skiing will just count as skiing and the equipment not taken into account. Moving from one place to the next will be can you move and not take into account the chair or your car.

As far as i can work out, having done it parachuting involves flying, and that is not anything you do with your legs, i am not sure how anyone living on benifits can afford a film crew, which was probally her let down.

I am in a bit of a weird place for benifits as my DLA is done on my CFS/ME and pre my spinal injury. I took one look at the forms and decided that i couldnt deal with more forms and i wasnt going to get any more money from them so left it. If they were to look at me I am actually worse off than before as I could walk a short distance before, i cant now. But i am swimming tomorrow. How come i can swim, well its all arms and actually swimming is good for people with SCI as it is exercise, increasing ciculation, digestion etc.

If the benifits agency want to get arsey then they could probally investigate most people but luckly they dont have enough time or money. I also think judging by the various TV progs there are people far easier to catch than outselves, unless you are like the guy from little briton and run around free from your chair when you think noone is looking!

[sh1wn]

If your disabled, you should sit at home in bed and only leave your bed to poop or go to the doctor, anything else and your a faker. When the judge asked how I was able to skydive I think I would remind him of how gravity worked.

[ClaraTaylor]

I can't see why they (the media) are focussing more on skydiving (which is after all just falling out of a plane - although she did land cleanly on both feet without displaying any kind of pain on her face) and not on her dancing or walking, or generally not using crutches.

Anyone can fall out of a plane. Or at least be pushed.

[pinkcloud]

Clara i back you up here totally.GB i love your brain, you always find interesting topics.

Especially on facebook we dont ever write 'ohhh woe is me', especially if we got kids.

I for example am in crippling agony on me scooter, shocks me back up to ###### and i desperatley need a eectric chair. Do i write this? noooooo. thats what this site is for :-)

we certainly dont put up pictures what we look like behind closed doors - unable to shower, bed ridden and eating crisps for dinner when we cant cook. Go on dla people, use facebook all you like as a source - and i say 'wheres your bed hangover pictures love? you couldnt go beaching it in spain like that'.

On a soap there was a tetra who had assisted suicide - and he was shown jumping from a plane - for fecks sake...he wasnt able to jump up and party whilst cooking.

maybe if ya can do fun things in life, video record the next few weks in bed recovering...then again you could have always done it as an xcuse to get more 'drugs' of ya doctors, yet another biggest load of nollocks i ever did hear.

heck off press and go do ya stories about rapists/abusers - and better still educate those with disabilities how to protect themself from being mugged, attacked, raped.Rather than building up ore disability-hatred. Your'd actually be doing a useful job then.

Edited by pinkcloud, 02 July 2011 - 08:30 AM.

[ClaraTaylor]

Is it press led hatred against disabilities? Or hatred off thieving scum who cheating the benefit system?

[Trinity]

 ClaraTaylor, on 03 July 2011 - 06:44 AM, said:

Is it press led hatred against disabilities? Or hatred off thieving scum who cheating the benefit system?

I think with "certain" newspapers they see very little difference between the two

[pinkcloud]

 ClaraTaylor, on 03 July 2011 - 06:44 AM, said:

Is it press led hatred against disabilities? Or hatred off thieving scum who cheating the benefit system?

Clara, Trinity hit the nail on the head, as always.

The press can only feed us what we want to be fed, otherwise papers wouldnt sell.

And lets face it, we all as AB mostly do anything to avoid pain...why allow us to rub in their face in what they dont want to see? And to think -we get 'paid' by the government to inflict such misery onto the lives of delusionl healthy others...

Or console them whom 'dump' ill healthed relatives/friends by letting them know we are just robbing scum who use their taxes to live off, in revenge to them.And they are best to be rid of such parasites as us...taking up valuable bus spaces and making shop ques longer as we are slower.

I will say this is just the attitudes of some of society...and some religions whom believe disability is a 'curse' and some un-educated people whom think disability is an infectious disease, sci REALLY deadly to them, as they cant even SEE the lurgy that lies within us.

heck them. The press earn money by spreading the word of misery - if people want to pay to read 'such proof' of their BNP ideals to 'prove to themself' they are right...up to them. I'll just keep spending me money on keeping alive by high heating bills, healthy food and taxi to hospitals, at least I keep a lot of people in jobs that are not the press. That would make me eyes water to hand money over to them who cause emotional GBH