'Greedy' army veteran jailed for £36k benefit scam
GoogleA "greedy" benefit fraudster who lied about his health and claimed £36,000 he was not entitled to has been jailed.
Army veteran Russel Harrison received personal independence payments (PIP) for six-and-a-half years after claiming he suffered serious mobility issues and even struggled to peel vegetables.
Carlisle Crown Court heard the 67-year-old had been holding down a physical job as an HGV driver at the time, which was "entirely beyond a man as disabled as the defendant was claiming to be", prosecutor Tim Evans said.
Sentencing him to 18 months in jail, Judge Michael Fanning told Harrison: "You are an overwhelmingly selfish, greedy and grossly dishonest individual."
Mr Evans said Harrison's employer explained his job entailed assisting with unloading a 44-ton lorry, climbing ladders to inspect loads and fastening straps over loads.
Harrison, of Edinburgh Road, Maryport, admitted the fraud totalling £35,975.
The court heard he had served his country in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Ireland, and was now in poor health having suffered a stroke at work.
A defence barrister said prison would interrupt medical treatment and have a detrimental impact on him.
But the judge said: "The public need to know this will not be tolerated."
He said he was "astonished by the brazenness" of Harrison's actions.
"People like you undermine the trust in the benefits system."
