Britain: A Kenyan asylum seeker who fraudulently claimed more than £21,000 in benefits has walked free from court

Nione Meakin:

Oxford Crown Court heard that former nurse Grace Muhoro, 39, of Bassett Road, Headington, Oxford, had claimed the benefits, which included income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit, between 1995 and 2004.

Muhoro failed to state that she was working for three different employers during that period.

Sophie Eloquin, defending Muhoro, said she had been entitled to some benefits, but not to all those which she claimed.

She said Muhoro, a single mum who suffered from depression, had spent the cash on bringing up her three young children.

Muhoro, who admitted five charges of benefit fraud, had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, Mrs Eloquin added.

Mr Recorder Guy Hungerford sentenced Muhoro to 240 hours of community service and ordered her to pay £200 in costs.

He said he had decided to spare her jail for the sake of her children.

He told her: "You helped yourself to £21,369 of public money to which you were not due. That is a serious matter and a sizeable sum of money.

"The court in these circumstances will be thinking of deterring other people from stealing from public funds simply by filling in a form."

He added: "Bad though this is, I shall impose a community penalty, which will enable you to stay at home and look after your children."

Apparently, crime does pay if you are an asylum seeker living in Britain.