A 69-year-old Douglas woman has admitted committing a benefit fraud worth more than £38,000.

Jean Collette Matthews, of Glen Park Drive, wept as she pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false representation to obtain a benefit.

She was committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery where she will appear on November 5.

Prosecutor Roger Kane told the court how Matthews had been receiving income support benefit since September 2011 due to being a pensioner on a low income.

However, in March 2017, a review revealed that she had sold a property in 2010 but had not declared it.

The property had sold for £260,000 and Matthews was said to have received £184,163.43 from the sale, which she did not declare.

When she made her benefits claim, she was found to only have £916.29 in her account and told authorities that she had given away a large portion of the money from the sale.

When interviewed she said she did not think it was relevant but could not explain where all the money had gone.

Matthews said she gave her sister £70,000 and had given money to her niece for a wedding. She also said she had paid off a loan and rent.

The non-declaration was calculated to have resulted in an overpayment in benefits of £38,249.33.

Magistrates ruled that, as the claim was fraudulent from the outset and of high value, the case should go to the higher court for sentencing.

Bail was granted.