Irish Wedding News
31/05/2013
Anita Wood, formerly Bayliss, held a civil partnership ceremony with her partner Margaret Wood at the Liberty Stadium in 2011.
At the time, the event was covered in the press and photographs of the pair dressed in matching white outfits – based on the Star Trek character of Captain Jean-Luc Picard – was viewed around the world.
40 guests attended the ceremony, and all dresses up as the crew of the Starship Enterprise.
However, it has since emerged that mother-of-two Anita falsely claimed £16,000 in benefits as an unemployed single person, when she was actually living with her partner, who was in full-time employment.
Anita, 48, appeared at Swansea magistrates' court where it was revealed she continued to claim benefits after their wedding and failed to inform the Department of Work and Pensions that her civil partner had a full-time job.
Prosecutor Felicity Lewis said: "Anita Wood should have declared that she and Margaret Wood were in a civil partnership.
"It would have reduced the amount of benefits she was entitled to claim as Margaret Wood was in full-time employment.
"A member of the council’s benefits team reported concerns and a joint investigation was conducted by council investigators and the DWP."
By the time the fraud was discovered, Wood had illegally claimed £16,000 in benefits.
Wood, who is from Swansea, admitted to six offences of benefit fraud by failing to declare a change in her circumstances. She was sentenced to 12 weeks' jail, suspended for a year and was ordered to repay the money she claimed as well as £150 in court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
After the case, she said: "It wasn't intentional. We had declared Margaret as a non-dependent but not a partner.
"I was devastated. My whole family has been affected by it. I've never done anything wrong in my life, or anyone in my family."
(JP/CD)
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Star Trek Wedding Exposes Benefit Cheat
A woman has been exposed as a benefits cheat after she was caught marrying her partner in a Star Trek-themed wedding, according to The Sun.Anita Wood, formerly Bayliss, held a civil partnership ceremony with her partner Margaret Wood at the Liberty Stadium in 2011.
At the time, the event was covered in the press and photographs of the pair dressed in matching white outfits – based on the Star Trek character of Captain Jean-Luc Picard – was viewed around the world.
40 guests attended the ceremony, and all dresses up as the crew of the Starship Enterprise.
However, it has since emerged that mother-of-two Anita falsely claimed £16,000 in benefits as an unemployed single person, when she was actually living with her partner, who was in full-time employment.
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Anita, 48, appeared at Swansea magistrates' court where it was revealed she continued to claim benefits after their wedding and failed to inform the Department of Work and Pensions that her civil partner had a full-time job.
Prosecutor Felicity Lewis said: "Anita Wood should have declared that she and Margaret Wood were in a civil partnership.
"It would have reduced the amount of benefits she was entitled to claim as Margaret Wood was in full-time employment.
"A member of the council’s benefits team reported concerns and a joint investigation was conducted by council investigators and the DWP."
By the time the fraud was discovered, Wood had illegally claimed £16,000 in benefits.
Wood, who is from Swansea, admitted to six offences of benefit fraud by failing to declare a change in her circumstances. She was sentenced to 12 weeks' jail, suspended for a year and was ordered to repay the money she claimed as well as £150 in court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
After the case, she said: "It wasn't intentional. We had declared Margaret as a non-dependent but not a partner.
"I was devastated. My whole family has been affected by it. I've never done anything wrong in my life, or anyone in my family."
(JP/CD)
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