Kenton dad jailed for £55k benefit fraud
A petrol station attendant from Kenton has been jailed for falsely claim £55,000 in housing benefits in a six-year long scam.
Abdul Murshid, of Daintry Close, claimed £900 per month for the rent at his part-ownership property while in reality it amounted to £200
Willesden Magistrates’ Court heard the father-of-four used the extra £700 to spend on his family.
Murshid, who worked at the Welcome Break service station on the M1, admitted four counts of fraud.
Magistrates said a jail term was justified because of the severity and duration of the fraud, although they took into account an early guilty plea and the defendant’s previous good character.
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He was jailed for 11 weeks and he will serve half of his term out on license.
He must pay pack the £55,957.31 he fraudulently claimed from October 2005 to March 2012.
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Cllr Sachin Shah, Harrow Council’s portfolio holder for finance and major contracts, said: “People defrauding the benefit system take attention away from its real purpose. That purpose is to provide a vital safety net that catches people when they need it the most.
“A jail term sends a signal of just how seriously the courts take benefit fraud – it is not a harmless paperwork fiddle. We are going to pursue the defendant to recover money which belongs to the people of Harrow.”