A Douglas man has been sentenced to 12 months’ probation for six counts of benefit fraud.

Jeffrey Robert McShane, aged 55, of Peel Road, admitted claiming £3,676 he was not entitled to and must repay the amount at a rate of £10 per week.

The court heard that he had already repaid £1,200 of the overpayment.

We previously reported how McShane had been receiving income support benefit between July 2012 and October 2017. He made the claim as he was said to have been suffering from chronic pain and anxiety.

He also received JobSeeker’s Allowance briefly in August and November 2015.

However, the Department of Health and Social Care found out that McShane was working at the Four Seasons Hotel, now called the New Manila.

Surveillance revealed that he was cycling to the hotel and back home again. His bicycle was seen chained up outside the restaurant on a number of occasions.

When asked, the restaurant confirmed that McShane had been working from July 2017 until August 2017 earning between £84 and £154 per week. In total he earned £314.25.

His bank account details were examined and showed that he had also received regular payments from his son for rent between November 2013 and September 2014.

interviewed

When interviewed by the department McShane said that he had declared any work he had done at the New Manila.

However, it was found that he had only declared the work after the department had approached the restaurant.

The total overpayment in benefits which he had received was £3,676.62.

Defending McShane in court advocate Alexander Armstrong said that his client wanted to go back to work and that supervision would assist him.

Mr Armstrong said that the claim had not been fraudulent from the outset and asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation for each offence to run concurrently and was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs.