A benefit fraudster claimed more than £16,000 in income support despite operating two businesses.

Carl Kinrade, 45, formerly of Hailwood Avenue, Douglas, but now living at the Stud Farm caravan park in Morecambe, Lancashire, admitted two offences of benefit fraud. The overpayment totalled £16,480.

Kinrade walked free from court on Friday with a suspended sentence.

He had claimed job seeker’s allowance for two periods between May 19, 2022 and October 29, 2023 and also income support between December 11, 2022 and August 5, 2023, with the latter on the basis of him being medically unfit to work.

But prosecutor Hazel Carroon said the social security division had received information in April 2023 that the defendant was working self-employed for two businesses he owned called Creative Epoxy Design Ltd and CSK Decorators.

He had not not declared this nor five bank accounts, two of them business accounts.

Ms Carroon said a number of customers confirmed the defendant had completed work for them.

When interviewed, the defendant was asked if there was anything he should have declared and replied: ‘Not that I know of’.

Presented with evidence of payments going to his bank account, he said he didn’t tell the department because the jobs he completed were ‘not lasting long enough’ but it was not intentional.

Kinrade had been committed by the summary court for sentencing at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

He was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months with 12 months’ supervision.

Deemster Graeme Cook told Kinrade that if he committed another prisonable offence in the next 12 months, he would be sentenced to custody for six months in addition to whatever sentence was imposed for the new offence.

The defendant will appear before the court again on January 30 for a proceeds of crime confiscation hearing.