A 29-year-old man has pleaded guilty in court to a whopping 20 criminal offences.
David William Atkinson, of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to 14 offences, but in court on Tuesday he pleaded guilty to six more.
Atkinson had pleaded guilty during previous court appearances to:
l Taking a vehicle without consent
l Two counts of having no driving licence
l Two of having no insurance
l Driving without due care and attention
l Failing to stop after an accident
l Failing to report an accident
l Failing to notify a change of ownership
l Having no vehicle licence
l Four separate charges of property damage.
In his latest court appearance Atkinson pleaded guilty to five counts of benefit fraud and one of possessing a lock knife in a public place.
Prosecutor James Robinson said of the latest offences that Atkinson had been arrested at Cronk Grianagh Estate in Braddan with a lock knife on February 24.
Further investigations had revealed that Atkinson had been claiming benefits while he was working.
Mr Robinson said that Atkinson had been claiming incapacity benefit and income support since 2014.
At the outset of his benefits claim Atkinson had declared that he was not working.
The court heard that Atkinson had made the same declaration in August 2015 while claiming £185.25, in October 2015 while claiming £210.75, in December 2015 while claiming £210.75, in February 2016 while claiming £125.55, and in May 2016 while claiming £121.55. In total he had been overpaid £8,084.41.
However, it was discovered that he had been working at various construction companies during those periods.
Evidence was obtained from three companies who said that they had employed Atkinson.
He was interviewed by police but gave a ’no comment’ response to all questions.
Defending Atkinson in court his advocate Paul Glover made a bail application, which was opposed by the prosecution, saying that his client had already spent four weeks on remand and that it would take another six weeks for a social enquiry report to be prepared, so his client would have been remanded for a total of 10 weeks by the time his sentencing took place.
Mr Glover said that his client had applied for a place at probation accommodation David Gray House but none was available.
Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ’There are grounds to believe you will commit further offences if granted bail. You have been convicted of all matters and I will sentence you without giving you the opportunity to commit more.’
Atkinson will be sentenced on May 9 for all the offences.