JAIL-BIRDIE: Benefits cheat who swindled £26k while winning golf tournaments jailed

A SHAMELESS scammer who pocketed £26,000 in disability benefits while winning golf tournaments has today been jailed for six months.

Shameless Alan Bannister pocketed £26,000 in disability benefits while winning golf tournaments PA

Shameless Alan Bannister pocketed £26,000 in disability benefits while winning golf tournaments

Alan Bannister, who boasted a handicap of just six, exaggerated the severity of his arthritis for eight years as he was awarded a top-rate payment usually only reserved for people who cannot walk.

The former mechanical engineer insisted he could not hold a saucepan or peel potatoes, struggled to dress himself and took 15 minutes to walk as little as 50 metres.

He overstepped the mark. What awaits him is a life of misery in the community. He is a broken man

David Leathley, representing Bannister

Bannister, 56, made the claims in a successful application after quitting his job on health grounds.

However, the fraudster joined the 18-hole St Andrews Major Golf Club in Dinas Powys, south Wales, in the same year he applied for increased benefits.

The prize-winning golfer collected £26,090.55 over eight years and was also handed a mobility ca, which he then used to drive to golf tournaments, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Secret footage captured Bannister lifting a bag of clubs with one hand before comfortably launching a 240-yard drive from the first tee.

Jailing Bannister for six months, recorder David Miller described the claimant's actions as a "blatant" fraud.

The judge told Bannister: "I imagine someone with high mobility needs rightly claiming Disability Living Allowance watching that footage of you playing golf, hearing about your golfing prowess, your championships and wondering how on Earth you were getting what they were getting.".

Last month, a jury at Cardiff Crown Court took less than two-and-a-half hours to convict Bannister of a single charge of obtaining money transfers by deception.

Secret footage captured Bannister lifting a bag of clubs with one hand  PA

Secret footage captured Bannister lifting a bag of clubs with one hand

a jury at Cardiff Crown Court took less than two-and-a-half hours to convict Bannister PA

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court took less than two-and-a-half hours to convict Bannister

The jury heard how golfer Bannister was initially given a lower rate of disability living allowance back in 2002, having been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis - a condition which causes the spine and other areas of the body to become inflamed.

However, by 2004, Bannister had applied for the highest rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and soon began receiving the increased payments.

The judge said the increased amount was granted on the basis Bannister "couldn't carry saucepans, grip tin openers or prepare a cooked meal".

Bannister repeated his claims on a form in 2007, adding that he could not peel potatoes and did not have any improvement in his condition.

"You were unanimously convicted by a jury because during the time you were claiming DLA, you were an active member of your local golf club with a handicap of six," the judge added.

He added: "You won competitions almost on an annual basis. You were the men's champion in 2006. You played regularly throughout this period.

"You were filmed effortlessly removing your golf trolley and your golf clubs from your car. You held the bag in one hand. You walked a decent pace on the golf course.

Representing Bannister, David Leathley said his client's initial claim had been a "bona fide" one but then "overstepped the mark".

"This is a man who is genuinely poorly," Mr Leathley said. "He has good days and bad days. This is an honourable claim that has fallen foul.

"He overstepped the mark. What awaits him is a life of misery in the community. He has to atone for his act of exaggeration which he bitterly must regret.

"He is a broken man."

Speaking after the case, Adrian Landeg, group manager for fraud and error investigation for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), said the sentence sent a "strong message".

He added: "Alan Bannister claimed he couldn't walk more than 30-50 metres without feeling extreme pain and discomfort."

"Clearly from our investigation and covert filming we found him playing golf, we have evidence of him winning club championships."

A Proceeds of Crime hearing is set to take place at a future date to recover the money paid to Bannister, Mr Landeg confirmed.

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