A professional snooker player's mother and sister are set to be reported to authorities following a family court ruling that uncovered a 19-year-long housing benefits fraud totalling approximately £200,000. World No. 37 Matthew Selt, along with his sisters Claire Noble and Charlotte Hamblin, were sued by their mother, Susan Hickenbotham, who alleged that her children had coerced her into signing away ownership of the family home in Essex, valued at £500,000.
Background of the Dispute
The property, a three-bedroom house in Romford, had been Mrs Hickenbotham's home since 1998. Originally owned by Michael Selt, the snooker player's father, Mrs Hickenbotham claimed she secured the house after their separation in 2000 by making a £7,500 down payment. Her father later cleared the remaining mortgage with a £96,000 payment in 2008. Despite her daughter Claire Noble holding the legal title, Mrs Hickenbotham maintained she was the true beneficiary.
In 2019, all family members signed a deed transferring full interest in the property to Ms Noble. However, after the siblings served their mother with an eviction notice, she sued, arguing that her signature had been obtained through coercion, duress, and undue influence.
Judge's Ruling on Property Ownership
Judge Simon Monty, presiding at Central London County Court, dismissed Mrs Hickenbotham's claim, declaring the 2019 deed valid. He found no evidence of bullying or improper pressure. The judge noted that Mrs Hickenbotham had ample time to review the deed and seek advice, and her behaviour after signing—continuing to receive money from Claire for purchases—was inconsistent with claims of coercion. However, he awarded Mrs Hickenbotham a 10 per cent share of the property's value to account for her £7,500 deposit, and recognised the £96,000 as a capital contribution to Ms Noble.
Findings of Benefits Fraud
Critically, the judge found that up until 2019, Mrs Hickenbotham was the real beneficial owner of the house. Consequently, housing benefit payments she claimed between 2000 and 2019—totalling over £200,000—were obtained fraudulently. The payments were made to Ms Noble as the purported landlady under a tenancy agreement that the judge described as a sham.
In his ruling, Judge Monty stated: 'It was not a genuine tenancy but a sham, created and maintained for the purpose of presenting Susan as a tenant when both Susan and Claire knew that Susan occupied the property as of right. It was entered into to deceive the local authority into providing Susan with housing benefit to pay for the mortgage.' He added that Mrs Hickenbotham was not entitled to such benefits, and both she and Claire knew this. The judge concluded that the tenancy agreement was a device to obtain housing benefit dishonestly.
The judge explicitly stated that Matthew Selt and Charlotte Hamblin were not involved in the fraud. He said: 'I do not think Charlotte was involved. Matthew was not involved. I intend to report Susan and Claire to the appropriate authorities in relation to the apparent benefits fraud.'
Court Proceedings and Aftermath
During the trial, the court heard that the snooker star had flown from Dubai to testify. The judge remarked on the 'very sorry, and entirely predictable, end to these unhappy proceedings.' Mrs Hickenbotham and her husband Mark continue to live in the property, pending separate possession proceedings. The judge's report to authorities is expected to trigger a criminal investigation into the long-running fraud.
