Greedy couple cheat £80,000 out of taxpayers to fund dream wedding in Cuba
A GREEDY couple swindled more than £80,000 in state benefits - to fund their dream wedding in Cuba.
However, the honeymoon is well and truly over for benefit cheats Tracey Dougherty and Stephen Turner - as the new bride was jailed for claiming tens of thousands of pounds over a period of 15 years.
Dougherty had claimed she was a single parent of four children since 2000 and received Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit as a result.
But the 38-year-old failed to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that she was living with Turner, 60 - and had been for 12 years - and fraudulently claimed a total of £84,189.86.
Turner, a full time self-employed driving instructor also claimed out of work benefits and received an allowance to be his mother's carer - but failed to declare his income and the savings in his bank account.
The couple's deception was discovered after police searched their home in Scholes, Wigan and found wedding invitations from the couple for their upcoming vows in Cuba.
A letter from Dougherty to Thomas Cook where she revealed she was "personally paying for 20 of those passengers at a total cost of £19,633" was also discovered.
Dougherty was jailed for eight months while her husband was ordered to repay more than £2,000 following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
This couple lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the local taxpayer
The court heard that following their arrest in August 2013 the pair denied living together.
In a later interview Dougherty admitted marrying Turner in Cuba and paying for the wedding bill but still denied they lived together.
Turner denied living together but admitted to working and having excess savings that he failed to declare.
Dougherty pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court, on February 27 to falsely claiming benefits and was jailed for eight months.
Turner pleaded guilty - at an earlier hearing on October 14 2014 - to failing to declare his work and excess capital.
He was ordered to pay a £500 fine, £750 in costs and a £2,927.06 confiscation order, which held a one month imprisonment in respect of any default.
Councillor Paul Kenny, cabinet member for resources at Wigan Council, said: "This couple lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the local taxpayer.
"At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, this kind of behaviour will no doubt frustrate those footing the bill.
"Benefits are there for people who need them, not for those who want to subsidise their income and pay for expensive holidays. I hope they learn a valuable lesson from this."
