A Douglas woman has been fined after pleading guilty to benefit fraud totalling nearly £2,500.

Joanne Louise Hall, of Woodbourne Road, admitted three counts of false representation to obtain benefit between December 2019 and January this year, which totalled £2,479.21.

Hall appeared before High Bailiff Jayne Hughes on Tuesday and was given a fine of £1,500.

She was ordered to make payments of £10 per week with the first payment coming into effect on June 26.

The court heard the 43-year-old mother of three made no declarations of being employed when signing a jobseekers’ booklet, except noting that she had three days of paid work.

She also claimed she had not been paid for work at a residential care home.

Advocate Paul Glover said she had been frank in admitting she had committed a crime and had already begun to pay back the amount.

Mrs Hughes said she would give credit to Hall for entering a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity and acknowledged her voluntary efforts in paying back the amount.

’It was a considerable amount taken and you were never entitled to receive it,’ Mrs Hughes said.

Hall was also ordered to pay £50 costs.