'You thought you could get away with it but you didn't,' a judge told fraudster Jeanette Griffin

A benefits fraudster claimed more £40,000 from the public purse after failing to declare her inheritance earnings.

Jeanette Griffin from Chellaston failed to notify HMRC of her windfall for several years.

The 46-year-old admitted the offence after being presented with the evidence.

She has now avoided jail - being handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for a year.

The court heard how Griffin first claimed benefits in 2005 and continued to do so until the 2020s.

Clarkson Baptiste, prosecuting, told the court: "When she first claimed she said she was a single parent and agreed to notify the DWP if there was ever any change of circumstance in relation to her claim.

"Evidence came to light that she had failed to notify when she had money in four different bank accounts.

"That was money that was from an inheritance from her grandmother."

Mr Baptiste said she received an overpayment of £5,265.27 from Income Support between July 28, 2017 and August 7, 2020.

She also received a Housing Benefit overpayment of £31,689.39 and a Council Tax Support overpayment of £3,643.47, both spanning from July 31, 2017 to January 15, 2024.

MORE BENEFITS FRAUDSTERS:

Sentencing, Judge Shaun Smith said: "This was a fraud of the public purse, you carried on with it for a long period of time and it was a large sum of money.

"What happened was you just did not tell the DWP when your situation changed.

"You thought you could get away with it but you didn't - but in fairness to you, when you knew the game was up you simply said: 'The game is up'.

"But the law now is that any sentence of 12 months or less is to be suspended unless there are exceptional circumstances and in this case there are no exceptional circumstances.

"But you will be back here for a further hearing later this year to see if there is any money to be had."

Griffin pleaded guilty to failing to notify the authorities about a change of circumstance in relation to benefits claims.

As part of the suspended sentence order, she has been ordered to attend 15 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing is scheduled to take place in October.