A Narberth man has been fined in court after admitting benefit fraud.
Fifty-eight-year-old Haydn James Morgan, of Garfield Gardens, Coxhill, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to notify Pembrokeshire County Council of a change of circumstances that would affect his housing benefit entitlements, when he appeared at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday,
Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told magistrates that the facts spoke for themselves, as Mr. Morgan had only been declaring his wife’s income, after being employed by the Pembrokeshire Ice Cream Company.
The court heard that between March 2013 and May 2016, the defendant had claimed £4,194.64 in housing benefits that he was not entitled to.
Addressing magistrates himself, Mr. Morgan said that he was ‘very sorry’ for what had happened and was ‘ashamed’ of his actions.
He explained that six years ago he suffered a stroke and had been off work for two years and ‘overlooked’ the matter and failed to notify the county council.
Mr. Morgan told magistrates that he had been repaying £50 a month back to Pembrokeshire County Council.
Magistrates fined him £80 for the offence and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.