A BENEFITS fraudster has been spared jail after admitting falsely claiming nearly £70,000.

Lena Carr, 41, filed forms with Poole council between 2008-13 claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit, but didn’t disclose that she was living with her landlord, who was also her partner and the father of three of her six children.

Sentencing, Judge John Harrow pointed out that her ill-gotten gains amounted to around £1,000 per month, but nevertheless he opted to suspend her 12-month term of imprisonment for two years as she had family members dependent on her care.

“If you were standing there without any vulnerable dependants you would go straight to prison,” he said, adding that while the sentence might seem lenient to some members of the public, they would not know the full circumstances.

“The benefits system is so widespread it has to rely on the honesty of individual claimants, there isn’t the time and there isn’t the labour to check every single piece of information provided,” he said.

“Therefore people who take advantage by lying and being dishonest have to be punished very severely.”

Carr, of Enfield Avenue, Oakdale, had pleaded guilty to four of seven counts of benefits fraud – the others were dropped by the prosecution. She was also ordered to attend a women’s group at Poole Probation Centre.

In mitigation, Nicholas Robinson called for the court to show “mercy” on the defendant, saying an immediate custodial sentence would have a “devastating” effect on her children.

He said Carr’s then partner Michael Glavin was no longer living with the family, leaving her to care for three young children as well as her brother, who has learning difficulties.

“She begs for the court’s lenience,” he said.

“I hope the court can understand that she did not do this for an extravagant lifestyle, but to put a roof over her children’s heads.”

Borough of Poole said it was no longer paying benefits to Carr, who will have to repay the full amount.