Showing posts with label 000 benefit fraud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 000 benefit fraud. Show all posts

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Brian Griffin, Labour councillor and Former Eastwood Mayor, Said he could not walk far, found guilty of £13,000 benefit fraud

 Brian Griffin, Labour councillor and Former Eastwood Mayor, Said he could not walk far, found guilty of £13,000 benefit fraud.

He pocketed £13,000 in benefits after claiming he could only walk 10 metres was caught marching over a MILE during a Remembrance Day parade.

Brian Griffin is still currently a serving Labour councillor representing Eastwood Town Council's southern ward.

He said he had not yet decided whether or not to step down from the authority.

He added: "I still believe I did nothing to deliberately mislead the DWP, I suffered my injury 17 years ago for which I still receive treatment for today.

"I'm a honest and proud man and have always been truthful. I put on my form that my condition varied day to day and the Remembrance parade was one of my better days.

"I did not intend to deliberately deceive anybody - it's not like I'm a paedophile, robber or a drug dealer.

"The judgement just went against me and I have not yet made a decision on my future role at the council."

Griffin, who was mayor of Eastwood twice, in 2010/11 and 2012/13, had claimed DWP investigators caught him "on a good day" when he they filmed him.

Today he was handed an eight-week jail term, suspended for six months, he was also ordered to pay £300 costs.

District Judge Morris Cooper told Griffin the public would have been 'concerned' about the crime given his standing in the community.