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Staffordshire £100,000 benefit cheat David Millward jailed Staffordshire £100,000 benefit cheat David Millward jailed
(about 1 hour later)
A livestock trader who claimed £100,000 in disability benefits when he said he had walking problems has been jailed, after being secretly filmed working. A livestock trader who falsely claimed £100,000 in disability benefits for problems walking has been jailed, after being secretly filmed working.
David Millward, 55, of Oak Road, Brewood, Staffordshire, was filmed moving bales of hay and livestock, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. David Millward, 55, of Oak Road, Brewood, Staffordshire, moved livestock and carried animal feed bags, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
Millward, who pleaded guilty, has been jailed for 18 months.Millward, who pleaded guilty, has been jailed for 18 months.
He falsely claimed £100,225 in Disability Living Allowance and Income Support. He claimed £100,225 in Disability Living Allowance and Income Support between 2003 and 2011.
Surveillance footage recorded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed him carrying 20kg animal feed bags in Coven, Staffordshire, the court heard.
'Cynical' fraud
Prosecutor Daniel White said Millward walked around a field, hitched a trailer on to his vehicle and loaded cattle on to it.
He added that in order to claim benefits Millward said he had difficulty walking, always had to use a walking stick and would often fall over because his knees were weak.
Millward had said he could only walk 10m before feeling severe discomfort, struggled to climb stairs and needed help getting out of bed, going to the lavatory and getting dressed.
The court heard how he would stand for up to four hours at livestock auctions.
Judge Michael Challinor told Millward, who used a walking stick as he arrived at court, that this had been "a cynical, planned sophisticated" fraud.
The judge said the harm was the loss to the benefits agency of a considerable amount of money.
Kate Thomas, defending, said he had had several knee operations and had "good and bad days".
Speaking outside court, Mark Pickering, from the DWP said: "He was trading, a market trader with cattle and tens of thousands of pounds were changing hands.
"He attended the cattle markets on a number of occasions over many, many years.
"The people that worked with him when he attended the markets were totally unaware of his disability so it was a total surprise to them."