Our thanks to Graham for this. Extracts take up the remainder of this blog piece:

“A council worker in charge of housing benefit payments, including fraud detection, [J4MB emphasis] swindled her employer out of almost half a million pounds. Joella Preston fraudulently received £493,487 by setting up fake claims in the names of people she knew, such as neighbours and friends, over a nine-year period…

She had gambled as much as £776,938 and recouped £355,709 in winnings. Preston was told by a judge that a community-based punishment was “by far the best way” to prevent any risk of reoffending… [J4MB emphasis.]

Her role not only required her to set up and manage housing benefit claims but also to be alert to fraudulent applications, comply with relevant policies in relation to any suspect claims and to liaise with fraud officers. The court heard that between September 2014 and July 2023, Preston created a total of 15 false claims of her own, and used her knowledge of the system to cover her tracks…

Her lawyer, Christopher Johnston, told the court that the defendant may have “fallen prey” to her addiction after being left “with a residual feeling that something was missing in her life” as a result of being estranged from her mother and unable to conceive. [J4MB: Fair enough. She really shouldn’t have been prosecuted…]

A large number of character references written for the sentencing hearing on Monday also spoke of her “compassion, integrity and honesty“… [J4MB emphasis: You couldn’t make this s*** up…]

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