Benefit cheat nurse faces “inevitable” prison sentence for £400,000 fraud

Chloë Mayer, Senior Reporter Thursday, August 9, 2012
2:48 PM

A Homerton Hospital nursing assistant, who fraudulently raked in more than £400,000 by claiming benefits while holding down two jobs, is facing an “inevitable” jail term.

Fanta Sesay pocketed £20,800 in income support, £121,000 in housing benefit, and £38,700 in tax credits between 2005 and her arrest in April this year, Inner London Crown Court heard yesterday (Wednesday).

But the Sierra Leone national was simultaneously working at the hospital in Homerton Row as well as St Thomas’ Hospital in south London and made £233,400 over the same time period.

The 41-year-old admitted handing her employers false names and national insurance numbers to obtain work and earn more than £30,000 a year.

Sesay, of Jenkins Road, Plaistow, pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly making false representations to obtain benefits in respect of council tax and housing benefit.

She also admitted to being knowingly concerned with fraudulent activity, obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, and fraud by false representation.

She denied theft of medicines from Homerton Hospital, but Judge Roger Chapple ordered the charge to lie on file.

Sesay claimed she carried out the frauds to provide for her children in Sierra Leone.

But Judge Roger Chapple said: “It was not necessary, I would have thought, to do what she did in order to provide for her children.

“I say that because there are numerous examples of people who do not resort to this sort of activity and are able to provide for their children.”

He adjourned sentencing until September 4 so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared.

“I regard a custodial sentence, and it is likely to be a substantial custodial sentence, as inevitable,” he added.