£6kfraudsteris sorryforcrime · ww.thisiskent.co.uk SCH-EO1-S2 Chronicle,Thursday,November4,2010 7...
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Chronicle, Thursday, November 4, 2010 7 www.thisiskent.co.uk SCH-EO1-S2 A PET sheep has been put down following a savage dog attack six weeks ago. Raisin contracted an infection of the bone after being bitten by a dog while he was grazing in his family’s paddock. Michelle Burnham, 41, who hand reared the six-year-old sheep from a lamb, said that despite her family’s hopes to the contrary, Raisin never recovered from the attack. “We kept hoping that he’d get better, kept trying different antibiotics, but nothing worked,” she said. “In the end we came to the decision that the kindest thing to do would be to put him to sleep.” The mother-of-two, from Main Road in Knockholt, keeps six other sheep at her home. She was shocked when a small dog entered the enclosure and attacked Raisin. “It’s really sad; he was just in his field, doing nothing, when he was suddenly attacked,” she said. “My neighbours say they saw a small black dog get through the hedge and the fence and bite Raisin.” Furious Kate Wheeler-Booth, of Meopham Veterinary Surgery, who was treating Raisin, was furious about the attack. “It’s outrageous that these people let their dog run around off its leash if there’s any chance of it attacking another animal,” she said. “It’s terrible, Raisin was a young sheep, who could have lived for another ten years or so. This family have spent so much time raising him, he’s one of the family, and now they’re distraught. “The people responsible should come forward.” Mrs Burnham said that so far, no one had claimed responsibility for the animal. “I’m so cross with the owners,” she said. “You naturally blame the dog but it’s the owners who are really responsible.” IN BRIEF Fireworks display went off with a bang or two UNDERRIVER: Bonfire Night went off early and with a bang at the White Rock Inn, in Underriver. Despite Friday being a wet night around 250 people enjoyed fireworks and a barbecue and hog roast rolls. The evening was organised by Underriver Village Association in conjunction with Frank and Maria Scott at the White Rock Inn and more than £700 was raised for the annual Poppy Appeal. Third Sevenoaks Scouts’ display is on Saturday, November 6 – not Sunday, November 7 as listed last week. Gates open at 6pm in Bradbourne Vale Road. Triathlon very popular SEVENOAKS: Places for April’s Sevenoaks Triathlon sold out just two days after being exclusively announced in the Chronicle. Organisers the 7oaks Tri Club are staging the event just once next year, on April 10. Race director Martin Brown said: “We are really pleased that the Sevenoaks Triathlon is still popular enough to sell out in a few days.” Remembering Sharon IGHTHAM: A celebration of life will be held at Ightham Church on Tuesday for Sharon Murphy, who lost her fight against cancer on October 15. The 47-year-old Borough Green woman, who worked with her husband Richard at Kristies Antiques in the High Street, will be remembered at St Peter’s at 11am, with a cremation at Vinters Park, Maidstone, at 12.30pm. The mother-of-two was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, but defied medical experts for eight years. She and Mr Murphy were married by special licence in September last year. Everyone is invited to attend. Flowers are welcome, or cancer charity donations. Draw up a will for free SEVENOAKS: Solicitors have agreed to join Will Aid’s Make a Will Month in November and will draw up wills for free, encouraging the recipients to make a voluntary donation to the Will Aid group of charities instead. The Reece-Jones Partnership, 01732 457575; Baker Macdonald, 01732 457978; Roger Dean & Co, 01959 542872 are all participating in Will Aid. Due to the high demand, people are advised to book appointments as soon as possible. Family pet put down after attack TRAGIC: Raisin the sheep who was put down £6k fraudster is sorry for crime Cheater falsely claimed three types of benefit APOLOGY: Mark Taylor GIRLGUIDING members from Kemsing, Otford, Seal and Sevenoaks joined thousands of girls and women across the country as they launched the next 100 years of Guiding. Some 200 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, leaders and Trefoil Guild members from the Otford and Seal division celebrated the end of the Guides’ centenary year with a torchlit procession from Kemsing to Oak Hall, Otford, where they enjoyed a campfire and firework display. The party at Oak Hall, Otford, was one of hundreds at the same time throughout the UK. At Sevenoaks School, more than 260 took part in a similar event. By Harriet Cooke [email protected] A BENEFIT cheat has apo- logised after swindling more than £6,000. Mark Taylor of Hale Lane, Otford, admitted to three counts of illegally claiming income support, housing and council tax benefits between February and December 2009. He appeared before Sev- enoaks magistrates after an investigation by Sevenoaks District Council and the De- partment for Work and Pen- sions. Taylor, 32, told the Chron- icle he had “learnt from his mistakes” and will now pay back the money. He added: “I know what I have done was wrong but I’m not the first person to do it and unfortunately I won’t be the last. “There are no excuses for what I’ve done. “I have never been in trouble before like this and I would never do it again.” In December last year Taylor signed off income sup- port stating he had started full-time work. But fraud teams found he had started work in February, but had continued to claim benefits without informing the authorities of his new circumstances. He incorrectly received £5,746.05 income support, £343.34 in housing benefit and £103.37 in council tax be- nefit, totalling £6,192.76. Sentenced Magistrates sentenced him to 100 hours of unpaid com- munity work and ordered him to pay £60 towards pro- secution costs. Both the Department for Work and Pensions and Sev- enoaks District Council are actively seeking the repay- ment of all overpaid benefit. District councillor Brian Ramsay said: “Benefit cheats should be aware that we have the ways and the means of unearthing those who at- tempt to defraud the system. “Our dedicated fraud in- vestigation team has data matching technology and in- telligence from residents at it’s disposal. “This combined with reg- ular case reviews means we are closing in on the cheats.” The council has prosec- uted five benefit cheats since April, including Mr Taylor. Spokesman Daniel Whit- marsh said: “During this period we have also issued seven formal cautions and two administrative penalties. In all the council has un- earthed incorrectly paid be- nefit amounting to over £130,000 since April. “Every penny of this will have to be paid back.” ' Anyone with information relating to benefit fraud can call the confidential benefit fraud hotline on 01322 343245. Party looking forward to a new century BRIGHT FUTURE: Brown Owl Jane Woodrow-Clark with Brownies, Rainbows and Guides TWPL20101020B-003_C
Transcript of £6kfraudsteris sorryforcrime · ww.thisiskent.co.uk SCH-EO1-S2 Chronicle,Thursday,November4,2010 7...
Chronicle, Thursday, November 4, 2010 7www.thisiskent.co.uk SCH-EO1-S2
A PET sheep has been put downfollowing a savage dog attack sixweeks ago.
Raisin contracted an infectionof the bone after being bitten bya dog while he was grazing inhis family’s paddock.
Michelle Burnham, 41, whohand reared the six-year-oldsheep from a lamb, said thatdespite her family’s hopes to thecontrary, Raisin never recoveredfrom the attack.
“We kept hoping that he’d getbetter, kept trying differentantibiotics, but nothing worked,”she said. “In the end we came tothe decision that the kindestthing to do would be to put himto sleep.”
The mother-of-two, from MainRoad in Knockholt, keeps sixother sheep at her home.
She was shocked when a smalldog entered the enclosure andattacked Raisin.
“It’s really sad; he was just inhis field, doing nothing, when hewas suddenly attacked,” she said.
“My neighbours say they sawa small black dog get through thehedge and the fence and biteRaisin.”
FuriousKate Wheeler-Booth, of
Meopham Veterinary Surgery,who was treating Raisin, wasfurious about the attack.
“It’s outrageous that thesepeople let their dog run aroundoff its leash if there’s any chanceof it attacking another animal,”she said. “It’s terrible, Raisinwas a young sheep, who couldhave lived for another ten yearsor so. This family have spent somuch time raising him, he’s oneof the family, and now they’redistraught.
“The people responsibleshould come forward.”
Mrs Burnham said that so far,no one had claimedresponsibility for the animal.“I’m so cross with the owners,”she said. “You naturally blamethe dog but it’s the owners whoare really responsible.”
IN BRIEF
Fireworks display wentoff with a bang or twoUNDERRIVER: Bonfire Night went off early andwith a bang at the White Rock Inn, in Underriver.
Despite Friday being a wet night around 250people enjoyed fireworks and a barbecue and hogroast rolls.
The evening was organised by UnderriverVillage Association in conjunction with Frank andMaria Scott at the White Rock Inn and more than£700 was raised for the annual Poppy Appeal.
Third Sevenoaks Scouts’ display is on Saturday,November 6 – not Sunday, November 7 as listed lastweek. Gates open at 6pm in Bradbourne Vale Road.
Triathlon very popularSEVENOAKS: Places for April’s SevenoaksTriathlon sold out just two days after beingexclusively announced in the Chronicle.
Organisers the 7oaks Tri Club are staging theevent just once next year, on April 10.
Race director Martin Brown said: “We are reallypleased that the Sevenoaks Triathlon is stillpopular enough to sell out in a few days.”
Remembering SharonIGHTHAM: A celebration of life will be held atIghtham Church on Tuesday for Sharon Murphy,who lost her fight against cancer on October 15.
The 47-year-old Borough Green woman, whoworked with her husband Richard at KristiesAntiques in the High Street, will be remembered atSt Peter’s at 11am, with a cremation at VintersPark, Maidstone, at 12.30pm.
The mother-of-two was diagnosed with breastcancer in 2002, but defied medical experts for eightyears. She and Mr Murphy were married byspecial licence in September last year.
Everyone is invited to attend. Flowers arewelcome, or cancer charity donations.
Draw up a will for freeSEVENOAKS: Solicitors have agreed to join WillAid’s Make a Will Month in November and willdraw up wills for free, encouraging the recipientsto make a voluntary donation to the Will Aid groupof charities instead.
The Reece-Jones Partnership, 01732 457575;Baker Macdonald, 01732 457978; Roger Dean & Co,01959 542872 are all participating in Will Aid.
Due to the high demand, people are advised tobook appointments as soon as possible.
Family petput downafter attack
TRAGIC:Raisinthesheepwho wasputdown
£6k fraudster issorry for crimeCheater falsely claimed three types of benefit
APOLOGY: Mark Taylor
GIRLGUIDING membersfrom Kemsing, Otford, Sealand Sevenoaks joinedthousands of girls andwomen across the countryas they launched the next100 years of Guiding.
Some 200 Rainbows,Brownies, Guides, leadersand Trefoil Guild membersfrom the Otford and Sealdivision celebrated the endof the Guides’ centenaryyear with a torchlitprocession from Kemsing toOak Hall, Otford, where theyenjoyed a campfire andfirework display. The partyat Oak Hall, Otford, was oneof hundreds at the sametime throughout the UK.
At Sevenoaks School,more than 260 took part in asimilar event.
By Harriet [email protected]
A BENEFIT cheat has apo-logised after swindling morethan £6,000.
Mark Taylor of Hale Lane,Otford, admitted to threecounts of illegally claimingincome support, housing andcouncil tax benefits betweenFebruary and December2009.
He appeared before Sev-enoaks magistrates after aninvestigation by SevenoaksDistrict Council and the De-partment for Work and Pen-sions.
Taylor, 32, told the Chron-icle he had “learnt from hismistakes” and will now payback the money.
He added: “I know what Ihave done was wrong but I’mnot the first person to do itand unfortunately I won’t bethe last.
“There are no excuses forwhat I’ve done.
“I have never been introuble before like this and Iwould never do it again.”
In December last yearTaylor signed off income sup-port stating he had startedfull-time work.
But fraud teams found hehad started work in February,but had continued to claimbenefits without informingthe authorities of his newcircumstances.
He incorrectly received£5,746.05 income support,£343.34 in housing benefitand £103.37 in council tax be-nefit, totalling £6,192.76.
SentencedMagistrates sentenced him
to 100 hours of unpaid com-munity work and orderedhim to pay £60 towards pro-secution costs.
Both the Department for
Work and Pensions and Sev-enoaks District Council areactively seeking the repay-ment of all overpaid benefit.
District councillor BrianRamsay said: “Benefit cheatsshould be aware that we havethe ways and the means ofunearthing those who at-tempt to defraud the system.
“Our dedicated fraud in-vestigation team has datamatching technology and in-telligence from residents atit’s disposal.
“This combined with reg-ular case reviews means weare closing in on thecheats.”
The council has prosec-uted five benefit cheats sinceApril, including Mr Taylor.
Spokesman Daniel Whit-marsh said: “During thisperiod we have also issuedseven formal cautions andtwo administrative penalties.In all the council has un-earthed incorrectly paid be-nefit amounting to over£130,000 since April.
“Every penny of this willhave to be paid back.”
Anyone with informationrelating to benefit fraud cancall the confidential benefitfraud hotline on 01322343245.
Party lookingforward to anew century
BRIGHT FUTURE: Brown Owl Jane Woodrow-Clark with Brownies, Rainbows andGuides TWPL20101020B-003_C
