A couple who fled to Spain after making £63,000 in fraudulent claims and a benefits cheat who hid her husband from the authorities are among Scotland's worst fraudsters.
Benefits Cheat Faces 465-Year Repayment
Lesleyann McLean, 44, of Affric Avenue, Scone, admitted failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) of a material change in her circumstances between July 27, 2020, and November 4, 2023. She completed universal credit claim forms stating she was single and lived alone, when in fact she was cohabiting with Barry McLean, and obtained £27,908 she was not entitled to.
Perth Sheriff Court was told the benefits agency is now taking the money back from McLean's benefits at a rate of £5 per month. The 'overpayment' plan means the full sum will take more than 465 years to pay back – and won't be finished until McLean turns 510 years old.
Sheriff William Wood placed McLean on a curfew for 12 months as a direct alternative to a prison sentence.
Takeaway Runner Claimed Disability
Julie Smith, 47, of Wishaw, Lanarkshire, admitted providing false or misleading information to obtain £13,720.17 from Social Security Scotland between August 2022 and March 2024. She applied for adult disability payment, claiming she was in constant pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis, and also suffered from anxiety.
After checking the information with Smith's GP, officials awarded her a lump sum of £2,147.95 and started paying her £505.40 a month. Later they were tipped off that she was working full time at JM Munchies in nearby Coatbridge. Fraud investigators filmed her cooking and serving food to customers, and also watched her driving to shops and loading her car with foodstuffs.
When confronted, Smith told officials she had "good days and bad days" and believed she had done nothing wrong by claiming the disability payment. She was given a 50-day electronic tagging order, meaning she's confined to her home between 7pm and 7am.
Silversmith Jailed for 5k Runs
In 2024, Annette Bond, a silversmith from Stanley, Perthshire, was sentenced to two years in prison after being caught on camera running five kilometres while claiming to be barely able to walk. Due to a severe condition that she claimed made it difficult for her to get out of bed or even stand up, she claimed "enhanced" benefit payments for ten years.
A fraud investigation team set up covert surveillance and caught her up to four times a week running 5,000-metre circuits from her home. She spent almost ten years fraudulently obtaining £67,062.50 by claiming her mobility was severely impaired due to multiple sclerosis. After the jury watched video footage of Bond leaving her house in high-visibility running gear to go for sub-30-minute 5k runs around her neighbourhood, Bond was found guilty. Under proceeds of crime legislation, she has also been mandated to repay almost £70,000.
Couple Fled to Spain After £63k Fraud
In 2013, Anthony and Janet Kearney of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, were exposed for making £63,000 in fraudulent claims. The couple was ordered to repay £943,365 under the Proceeds of Crime Act, but that amount also includes money obtained through credit card fraud and extortion.
Despite having over £330,000 in offshore accounts, they fraudulently claimed housing benefits. Additionally, Anthony Kearney received £23,000 in income support. After being accused of benefit fraud, they fled to Spain, but after showing up on Crimestoppers, they were found in Benissa, on the Costa Blanca.
In 2010, Kearney was sentenced to two years in prison after serving a five-year sentence for separate extortion charges. His 45-year-old partner, who also goes by Donna McCafferty, was mandated to perform 250 hours of community service. Only £30,000 has been repaid by the couple.
