A 55-year-old Laxey man has been handed a suspended sentence after admitting seven counts of benefit fraud totalling £15,482.

Bryan Quinn, of New Road, was sentenced to 20 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years and ordered to pay £10,000 compensation to the Department of Health and Social Care.

The amount is the maximum figure which Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes can award in the summary court.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court how Quinn had been claiming Income Support benefit since October 2014 due to ill health.

However, in April 2017 information was received from an anonymous source that he had been working as a painter and decorator but not declaring it.

He was subsequently put under surveillance and a statement was obtained from his employer confirming that he had been working from February 2016 until June 2017 on and off.

The court heard that Quinn had since made 11 payments of £20 to repay the overpayment.

Defence advocate David Reynolds asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea.

Mr Reynolds said: ’Mr Quinn has been full and frank throughout the whole process.

’When first interviewed he made it perfectly clear he’d taken this money.

’It wasn’t a deliberate attempt to act fraudulently from the outset.’

The advocate explained that his client had been very ill and was still receiving treatment.

It was said that Quinn had started working just a few hours for a friend to ’help him get back into full time employment’ but that hours had ’crept up’ until he passed the eligibility to claim Income Support.

’This is not an excuse,’ said Mr Reynolds. ’He is now back on Income Support because he continues to have difficulties. The impact of being before the court has caused him great worry.’

Community service was suggested but Mrs Hughes expressed concerns over Quinn’s ability to do this due to his poor health.

Mrs Hughes said: ’I will sentence you on the basis this was not a fraudulent claim from the outset. You know you should have notified the department you were working.

’You chose not to and defraud the department of £15,000, a significant amount. Money you were not entitled to and your offending continued for over a year.

’I have taken into account you early guilty plea, co-operation with the department, and that you have no similar offences.

’I have also taken into account your health and find there are just grounds to justify suspending the sentence.’