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.
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.”
