Stealing from the public purse breaks suspended sentence

Sunday 18 February 2018

Jonathan Welch, 26, has been sentenced to six months in prison for lying to a States Administrator to obtain an additional Supplementary Benefits cheque for £169.26.

Welch, of Flat 6, Old Farm House, Grand Bouet, was given three months for the false claim, and a further three months in prison to be served consecutively for breaking a suspended sentence given to him in 2015 for assault.

He admitted having been dishonest to the States in claiming he had not been given his Supplementary Benefits cheque, so he would receive a replacement, despite the fact he had already cashed the original in.

Judge Graeme McKerrell said while the overall amount was not huge, stealing from the public purse was not tolerable.

The court heard Welch has 22 previous convictions, from between 2007 and 2015, many of which are traffic offences.

However the assault he was given the suspended sentence for had involved him pushing a woman over and injuring her because she asked him to get out of the road late at night because he was at risk of being hit by a car. 

Welch was given a two year suspended sentence for that charge but because he has broken the terms of that the remaining prison sentence has now been activated. 

In total, his sentence was six months in prison and to pay compensation of £169.26. The six months started when Mr Welch was first taken and held in custody in January.