Benefits cheat dad-of-five dodges jail despite enjoying string of holidays after pocketing £15k with claims he was too anxious to work
Shameless Stephen Astbury was busted when investigators uncovered Facebook photos of him scuba diving and skiing on his globe-trotting exploits
A SHAMELESS benefits cheat, who pocketed over £15,000 by claiming he was too anxious to work was busted by investigators who found photos of him enjoying a string of holidays on Facebook.
Stephen Astbury was seen scuba diving, skiing and posing happily in front of The Eiffel Tower - while insisting his split personality disorder prevented him from getting a job.
The 32-year-old father of five was unmasked as a cheat after officials from the Department of Work and Pensions examined his social media account - where they also discovered he was involved in the construction and scrap metal trades.
Further pictures showed him smiling behind the wheel of a string of vehicles including a quad bike, scrambling bikes and a JCB digger.
At Blackburn magistrates court Astbury, of Great Harwood, Lancs admitted fraudulently claiming Employment Support Allowance and Housing Benefit between March 2013 and September 2015.
Yet he escaped jail after telling JPs he had narrowly survived a road smash last month in which his lawyer claimed there was a ''90 per cent” chance' he could have lost his life.
Earlier prosecutor Miss Enza Geldard said: "The defendant begun collecting ESA in June 2010 on the basis that he was too ill to work and applied for housing benefit alongside this.
"He provided evidence that he was unfit to work due to a split personality disorder as well as anxiety and depression.
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"He was informed to notify the Department of Work and Pensions if his situation was to change.
"However in July 2014 evidence from his Facebook page showed that he was conduction scrap metal work. Evidence also showed that he was insured on a number of vehicles.”
A probation officer told the court: "The defendant accepts these charges but claims he was not aware he had to inform the DWP as he we was earning less than £100 a week.”
Astbury was given a 32-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge.
Sentencing, JP Irene Devine said: "You are trying to do everything you can to get your life back on track so we are going to try and deal with this in a sympathetic way but punish you at the same time.
"We hope this will prevent you from defrauding the department of work and pensions and the people again.”
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