FlickrColin Fenn, 69, had never committed a crime in his life when he was given the devastating news that he only had two years to live.
Believing that he wasn’t long for the world he and his disabled wife, for whom he cared, failed to declare his £40,000 savings so he could illegally claim £8,000 in benefits, a court heard.
The pair then went on to blow their cash, and he raked in £7,896 in handouts over two years on the basis they had a low income and savings of £1,000, The Sun reports.
FlickrHowever after the two years had elapsed, and he hadn’t died, medics admitted they’d misdiagnosed him and that he wasn’t going to die, which I suppose was both good news and pants-shittingly terrifying news.
The prosecutor Lee Dacre has said:
Evidence was obtained that the defendant had savings in excess of £40,000. That meant they were not eligible to make this claim.
But Trystan Roberts who defended Fenn claimed he was rocked by supposed medical fears and made a ‘foolish decision’.
publicdomainpicturesFenn has since repaid most of the fraudulently claimed cash and admitted dishonestly obtaining housing and council tax benefits, and pension credits. He was also tagged and put on a 16-week 7pm-7am curfew.
He was also ordered to pay £146 in court fees by Furness magistrates court.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.