A 34-year-old Douglas man has been fined £950 for three counts of benefit fraud.

Carl James Druggan admitted failing to declare a change of address, which resulted in him being overpaid £4,255 in benefits he was not entitled to.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood also ordered him to pay £50 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Peter Connick told the court that Druggan, who lives at Keppel Road, was receiving Job Seeker’s Allowance from October 2022.

During his claim, he didn’t tell the Department of Health and Social Security that he had moved address, and was no longer paying rent for the property he had declared that he lived at.

Druggan did however notify the income tax division of the change.

Enquiries confirmed that he had left his stated address on April 17.

He attended an interview with the DHSC and accepted that he had not informed them of the change of circumstances, saying that he had forgotten and it had not been deliberate.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode said that his client had entered guilty pleas to three counts of the offence as soon as the dishonesty aspect had been removed from the charge, as he said it had been a mistake and not dishonesty.

Mr Kermode said that the fact that Druggan had notified the income tax division of his address change supported this, and that he had not been trying to conceal anything.

The advocate asked for credit to be given for the defendant’s guilty pleas and added that he had no previous offences of dishonesty.

‘His attitude is one of regret,’ said Mr Kermode.

‘He apologises for the misunderstanding, but it was nothing sinister.’

Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood fined Druggan £350 for the first count, and £300 for each of the other two counts.

He will pay all amounts at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.