A woman escaped prison after admitting cheating a council out of thousands of pounds in benefits.

Kelly Haley, 33, claimed housing benefit to pay rent, despite living in her husband's house.

Tendring Council fraud officers launched an investigation after a tip-off, but Haley told them she rented the property from Bradley Turner, and didn't know him personally.

But they had been married for seven years and had a child together.

Lucy Osborn, mitigating, said: "He came in and out of her life, often using the address where she was living as a correspondence address."

"Once her husband became aware she had started a relationship with another man, he was angry and told her to start paying rent, so she claimed benefit."

Haley admitted wrongly claiming more than £4,100 benefits.

Haley, now of the Parade, Walton, was ordered to do 120 hours unpaid community work and pay £275 costs.

Published Monday, February 21, 2005

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