A grandmother who fiddled more than £41,000 in benefits to splash out on luxury foreign trips was trapped by her own holiday photographs – but still spared jail.
Geraldine Thomas, 54, spent the money on all inclusive breaks to Egypt after falsely claiming she lived alone, Newport Crown Court heard.
But Thomas was secretly living with her partner Raymond Adams since 2011 who accompanied her on the trips abroad.
And then the photographs of the couple canoodling on their luxury Egyptian holidays were handed to investigators.
The Department of Work and Pensions launched an investigation to discover the couple’s social media posts.
Geraldine Thomas, 54, was taken to court after it was revealed she was fiddling her benefits while secretly living with her partner Raymond Adams and used the cash to pay for their foreign holidays
Their trip to Egypt (pictured) was at the centre of the court case and she would later admit three counts of benefit fraud at Newport Crown Court
A court heard she pocketed a total of £41,350 by wrongly claiming income support, employment support, housing benefit and council tax over five years.
Thomas admitted three counts of benefit fraud at Newport Crown Court.
Judge recorder Patrick Harrington QC told her: ‘I know what the money has been spent on. It was spent on an expensive holiday wasn’t it?
‘You were not the instigator of this but you continued the relationship and you continued claiming the money for a very long time.
‘Benefit fraud is rife and costs honest hardworking people a lot of money. You committed offences which aggregated more than £41,000.
Thomas was spared jail after her legal team said her poor health meant she would struggle in custody
‘That is a great deal of money and it is your fault that you have found yourself in this position now.’
Thomas was handed a 12 months suspended sentence and told she would face a proceeds of crime hearing to recover the money.
Defence barrister Kathryn Lane said her client had never been in trouble before.
She added: ‘[Thomas] foolishly engaged in this offending and is thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed by it. She comes to court today knowing the consequences she faces.
‘Ms Thomas is a valued and routinely relied and depended-upon family member and a valued member of the community.
‘There have been a number of bereavements of close family members recently which has had an effect on her and she has been picking up the pieces of those closest to her.
‘This does not excuse her behaviour but she is a lady who would find it very hard in custody. She is suffering from mental ill health and physical ill health having suffered from a stroke and two hip replacements.’
Donna James, senior fraud leader of the DWP said officials were trying to regain the money.
She said: ‘This is a blatant act of fraud. As a department we are taking action to retrieve overpayments but also any assets amassed while the offences that have been committed were ongoing.’