Thank you for your concern. I coped because I had the support of my wife who believed in my innocence all along. My solicitor could not believe that I had been found guily in such a short time. I was advised to appeal but to be honest the strain is too great. It took two years for the case to come to court. It has destroyed my life and lost me a lot of friends. It was in our local papers and the reporter just made things up about me. He said that I was arrested by the police and interviewed by them. I was never involved with the police. One of my friends who has stuck by me has advised me to just get on with my life and put it behind me as it is tommorows fish and chip paper. I suppose that is one way of looking at it. The trouble is I have always been a bit of a worrier and have always done the right thing so when something like this happens it is a big shock. One of my friends said that I had let him down as he believed what he read in the local paper. Anyway I shall have this stain on my record forever and at 65 years old it is a bit late for me to start again.

Yes I did have proof but the majistrate decided that it was a tall story and could not be done and rejected the proof. Lets hope he does not bank online and get his credit card details snatched by fraudsters as it is happening all the time.

I can tell you what will happen as it has just happened to me. I was claiming Council Tax and Housing benefit. I found the forms long winded and to cut a long story short forgot to declare a private pension that I had. I was also accused of altering bank account statements which I normally download from an online bank but it turned out that I had a key logger and a virus on my PC which altered the statements. I didn't find out until after the council interviewed me under caution. I admitted that I owed them the money because it was obvious but did not admit to the falsifying of statement. Anyway they decided to prosecute me and went to majistrates court. They can take cases where there is less than £12000 owing. The majistrates decided that I was guilty and that as far as they were concerned I was lying through my back teeth. They took 10 minutes to decided this after listening to three hours of evidence. They were not interested in anything else but getting out of the court as the head majistrate had a cold. He told me that I would be getting a prison sentence as there was £9000 owing although I had repaid £6000. I was then sent to majistrates for sentence after 3 weeks as the probation service was told to do a report on me. I have never been in trouble before in my life but that doesn't count. The government is anxious to show that they are doing something about benefit fraud so everyone is getting hit hard. At The majistrates court I received a 18 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, 100 Communit service, £285 fine and 12 month supervision order. I am not sure if I have to wear sack cloth and ashes as well. The reason I am told I got hit that hard is that although I am retired for 5 years I used to be a civil servant. Needless to say that I shall never ever look at a benefits form again and have given up claiming my pension in case I am accused of fraud as they have said they will drag me off to prison. I claimed legal aid for my case but the solicitor didn't seem to know much a bout benefit cases. He just kept saying that I could go to prison. The rule is that if you go to majistrates court you can get 12 months, but if you go to crown court you can get up to 7 years. Use the Members of Parliament as a guide as they are all being investigated for their expenses