Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Trainee teacher falsely claimed �5k in childcare costs

MOTHER-OF-TWO Jennifer Grocott dishonestly claimed more than �6,000 in Childcare costs while she trained to become a teacher.

The 30-year-old, pictured, was a mature university student and was able to claim a contribution towards her childcare costs.

But Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday heard Grocott over-claimed �6,115.71 between May 1, 2009 and August 25, 2009.

Prosecutor Paul Spratt said the maximum mature students can claim for childcare is just under �300 a week.

"The prosecution case is she would have made a legitimate claim for some but she over-claimed," said Mr Spratt.

"She accepts she over-claimed to the tune of just over �6,100."

But Mr Spratt added that Grocott, who has been a brownie leader for 16 years, had a legitimate claim for �803.

"In reality the figure involved was about �5,000," he said.

The court heard Grocott was overpaid �4,802.92 by Staffordshire County Council.

Grocott, of Woodrow Way, Chesterton, pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud.

Peter McCartney, mitigating, said Grocott, of previous good character, committed "one serious error of judgment."

He said the defendant, who is married, did not finish her university course.

"The fees were not being paid and she had to drop out in the end," said Mr McCartney.

"She knows she is unlikely to pursue a career and she started a cleaning job last week."

Mr McCartney asked Judge David Pugsley to deal with Grocott by fining her.

"I think a fine would be adequate punishment. The reason she is in this mess is because she was in a financial mess," added the barrister.

The court was told Grocott was "utterly devastated" by the court proceedings and has expressed "enormous remorse."

And although money is tight she is prepared to sell her car to pay towards the compensation.

Judge Pugsley said it was not in the public interest to order Grocott to carry out unpaid work because the probation service would have to pay for her childcare while she did the work.

Instead he sentenced the defendant to a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered her to pay �4,802.92 compensation.

Judge Pugsley told Grocott: "You pleaded guilty at the eleventh hour but I do appreciate you have been a person of good character and it must have required an awful lot of courage to plead guilty.

"What you did was wrong. You really must not run up debt in the future. It is clouding your life and your horizons. You must pay this money back, that is the real punishment."

The judge said Grocott has "blown" her chance of becoming a teacher but he said he did not think she would commit any further offences.

He added: "I suspect in this case is that you buried your head in the sand and you were not able to face up to the enormity of your debt."

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