Pennar: Woman fiddled £27k in benefits by pretending her husband had left her

Published

11 years ago

May 22, 2015

A PENNAR woman fiddled more than £27,000 in benefits by pretending her husband had left her, a judge was told on Friday (May 22).

Paula Mary Pearce, aged 44, had supposed to tell the Department for Work and Pensions id her financial situation changed.

But she failed to notify them that her husband, Martyn Tegerdine, had moved back in and was helping to pay household bills.

Pearce, of 9 River View, Stranraer Road, admitted benefit fraud between 2011 and 2014 and wrongly receiving income support, housing benefit and council tax relief.

She was sentenced to 27 weeks in prison, suspended for two years. Swansea Crown Court heard the overpayments were being recouped out of the benefits she currently received.

Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, said the DWP became aware the Mr Tegerdine was working for Balfour Beatty and had registered his address as the same as Pearce’s.

His bank account was also registered at the same address and the tv licence was in his name.

During an interview with DWP officers Pearce denied he had moved back in but admitted he had stayed for a while when she had been unwell.

Her barrister, Carina Hughes, said the couple had separated many years ago but had not got divorced.

Judge Huw Davies said he had to reflect the public’s view of benefits fraud by passing a custodial sentence, albeit a suspended one.

Related Topics:

Up Next

Pembrokeshire revellers caught up in violent Lincolnshire rave

Don't Miss

Johnston: Internet chat led teenage girl to meet up with convicted rapist

4 Comments

Welshman23

May 23, 2015 at 7:53 am

at the same court this week a guy converted his car to a police car with a blue light and was sentenced to 2 years in jail. Justice system needs an overhaul. If you fiddle money should be. Custodial sentence and you pay the money back every single penny.
MakingSense

May 26, 2015 at 1:38 pm

The guy didn’t get 2 years in jail just for putting a light on top of his car, there was far more to it than that
MakingSense

May 26, 2015 at 1:39 pm

but you are right, far too many cases like this fraudster get away with a slap on the wrist
Isitanywonder

May 26, 2015 at 3:07 pm

The poorest in society lie and cheat to get money and they are prosecuted, given criminal records (thereby lessening their chance of getting decent paid work) and the people are braying for blood.

When the rich do it, they are given bonus’ worth 150% of their already over-inflated incomes.

I don’t agree with what she did, she needs to sort her life out, but I sincerely wish the people of this country would stop blaming the poor for the state this country is in. The profit-greedy bankers have f**ked us, not the people who already have nothing!!

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

4 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

4 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

4 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.