A WIDOW of a French Foreign Legionnaire has escaped a prison sentence for benefit frauds involving more than £50,000.

Bournemouth Magistrates Court heard that Jean Norrish of Broadway in Southbourne claimed income support, council tax benefit and housing benefit for nearly a decade, despite having thousands of pounds in a building society account.

The 46-year-old mother of two pleaded guilty to the offences, but magistrates decided against a prison sentence after hearing she had already paid back more than £20,000.

Investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions started looking into Norrish's benefit claims last year.

The court heard that Norrish had been married to a soldier serving with the French Foreign Legion, but their relationship had become "strained", and she started claiming benefits in 1990.

In 1993, her husband died, leaving her with two young children to support.

It was around this time that she deposited £10,000 in a building society account, well over the savings limits for benefits claimants.

Over the next 10 years, interest and further deposits had boosted this sum to more than £28,000.

But investigators discovered that Norrish had continued to claim benefits throughout this time, obtaining just over £53,000 in total.

Peter Johnson, defending, said the widow had put the money aside to provide for her young children, but she accepted she had been "silly" and acted dishonestly.

Since proceedings against her began, Norrish has already repaid more than £20,000, the court was told.

Chairman of the magistrate's bench John Birch said Mrs Norrish had "learned a hard lesson".

"We have noted that your utmost thought was for your children, rather than personal greed."

But he warned: "Had it not been for your guilty plea and the sum repaid, you would have received a custodial sentence."

First published: Oct 16