Woman on benefits ‘filmed doing karate and smoking’

A woman who claimed £72,000 in disability benefits because she could ‘only walk a short distance’ was secretly filmed winning a karate gold medal and smoking, a court heard today.

Black belt Claire Thomas, 46, told the Department for Work and Pensions she had breathing difficulties while doing karate training three to four times a week, a jury was told.

She was also filmed walking at a ‘quick pace’ from her taxpayer-funded mobility car to her martial arts classes, the prosecution said.

Thomas, of Gloucester, had been classed as disabled for more than six years from March 2007 after saying her asthma was ‘always waiting to strike, taking the air that I breathe’.

She had also claimed that she suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, prosecutor Tim Hills said.

He told the jury: ‘In 2013 she won a bronze and a gold regional medal in karate’ and was filmed competing throughout May that year.

Mr Hills said: ‘Surveillance was carried out. She was seen wearing her Karate clothes, smoking a cigarette out of a car window, and then attending a Karate class.

‘There was then a regional qualifier taking place in Birmingham and she was filmed taking part, winning a medal, and then kissing her husband.’

Investigators saw her walking to and from her car at normal speed and without any sign of difficulty or shortness of breath, he alleged.

Mrs Thomas has denied seven charges of benefit fraud between June 2007 and December 2013. 

It is alleged that during that time she was paid about £72,000 in benefits she was not entitled to, including £4,256 towards a car because of her immobility.

Most of the charges relate to her claim that she was living as a single parent whereas the DWP allege she was in fact keeping a ‘common household’ with her husband, Kevin Thomas.

The court heard Thomas won a bronze and a gold regional medal in karate’ and was filmed competing throughout May 2013 when claiming benefits

One of the charges, dated between June 6 2012 and December 3 2013, alleges Mrs Thomas dishonestly failed to notify a change in circumstances: an improvement in her physical abilities.

DWP fraud investigator Judith Merryman said Mrs Thomas first contacted them in 2005 when she asked for Income Support on the grounds she was single with a dependant child.

At the time she was living in Riverleys, Bristol, but in September 2005 she moved to Gloucester.

‘We carried on paying on the basis she was a single parent with a dependant child. If she was living with a partner she would not be entitled to income support’ said Mrs Merryman.

‘She said that she had suffered with diabetes and high blood pressure for about six years, but for the brittle asthma she simply said “years”.

‘She said she had to have someone with her when she is out in public and stated “It’s always lurking, waiting to strike when it wants, taking the air that I breathe.”

Claire Thomas was secretly filmed during the class and spotted smoking a cigarette after winning a gold medal

‘She received DLA Mobility, an award of money that was put towards a mobility car. In 2008 the income support was switched to employment support allowance, because she had provided medical certificates and was classed as disabled.’

Mrs Merryman then told the court that during surveillance Mrs Thomas was seen ‘walking to and from her car without stopping or catching her breath.

‘She went to a Karate club at Brockworth, nearr Gloucester. She was observed wearing Karate whites, smoking cigarettes in her mobility car, and observed walking across the car park to the club.

‘She walked across the car park at a quick pace with no obvious discomfort for about 100 yards’.

The jury were shown an edited compilation of clips from the surveillance period and Mrs Merryman said she had been told by GKR that Mrs Thomas trained ‘three to four times a week. 

The film clips were shown to to the jury. Mr Hills asked Mrs Merryman: ‘The medals put around her neck, what were they?’

‘They were a gold and a bronze medal’ she replied. 

Mr Hills told the jury there was evidence from the electoral roll and a car finance application for a Lexus vehicle that Mr and Mrs Thomas lived together and that she was not a single parent as she claimed.

‘The electoral roll for the address also says that Kevin Thomas and Claire Thomas live together,’ he said. ‘On the the car finance application it states that Kevin Thomas is a full time HGV driver.

Claire Thomas, right, is pictured during the class with husband Kevin Thomas, who is standing next to her

‘They both told the electoral roll they were married. They told the HP company they were married and lived together.

‘Surveillance footage shows Mr Thomas arriving in the evening and leaving in the mornings, just as every other married man might. She was seen walking to and from her car on a regular basis.’

Mr Hills said that when she was interviewed ‘she continued to maintain she was single, and unable to work. She said that Mr Thomas was of no fixed abode, a sofa surfer. She said she allowed him to stay for a month because of his tummy trouble.’

He went on to say that there were ‘various messages on Facebook’ that showed the couple ‘taking part in Karate and renewing their wedding vows in December 2012, in their own home, dressed in some sort of religious get up, but she said that some two to three days later he had been domestically abusive towards her.’

Defending, Jason Coulter asked Mrs Merryman ‘You set about collating evidence about comings and goings, bank accounts and voters records?’

Mrs Merryman said that the Department did that, but she was not the original investigator, and took over from that person when she went on maternity leave.

‘You have never met Mrs Thomas?’ he asked. She agreed that she hadn’t.

‘It appeared that on the face of it, she was living with her husband’ Mr Coulter observed.

‘Yes, that’s right’ Mrs Merryman replied.

‘Her claim in 2007; she outlined her physical disabilities. One assumes that the department didn’t take her at her word. They would investigate with doctors?’ he asked.

‘That’s not my part,’ she replied ‘I believe that they may.’

‘It must be that some further investigation took place?’ Mr Coulter suggested.

‘Not necessarily, she signs a declaration to say that the information is true and complete’ she replied.

‘The surveillance over a nine day period’ Mr Coulter enquired ‘Were they there for the whole time?’

‘No, I doubt it’ she replied. ‘They could have parked a vehicle there, monitoring and then edited the footage afterwards. They set it up and they can leave it there and take evidence off it. That may be the case here.’

Mr Coulter asked ‘Did you know that the Karate organisation she belongs to was disabled friendly?’

‘I think most organisations are’ Mrs Merryman answered. 

The jury heard from Mrs Thomas’ mother Diane Sharp who told the court she had known Kevin Thomas for about thirty years and he had first first moved in with her family as a lodger aged 19.

‘That was how he met my daughter’ she said, before saying ‘he has been married for 25 years.’

Mr Coulter asked if it was ‘a happy relationship?’

‘Certainly not’ she replied. ‘He drinks, he womanises and he is violent. He is violent to Claire. He went to hit me last year, but I called the police.

‘He is a bit of a nomad. If he can find a lady to take him in. He’s a sofa surfer’ she said.

Mr Coulter asked her if Mr and Mrs Thomas had lived together since 2007.

‘No’ she said. ‘Some of the things he’s done to her are absolutely disgusting.’ 

Thomas denies all charges. The trial continues.