Jailed aunt of Shannon Matthews has 70 yrs to pay back £35,000

Nov 6 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Mr Hassal said the offending began in May 2004 when she married Mr Hyett, but failed to tell the authorities about this and that they were living together.

In 2006 Hyett stopped claiming benefits and, in an interview at the time, Mr Hyett told staff “they had tried to go legit.”

But, Mr Hassal said, he later admitted they could not afford to forgo the benefits so his wife began claiming again three months later.

Mr Hassal said the fraud lasted for about four years and amounted to £35,885.27.

Garrett Byrne, defending, said: “This is not a case of a professional gang planning a sophisticated fraud, but one of a single mother who, for a large part of the time, was intent on feeding her family rather than feeding some excessive lifestyle.”

Mr Byrne said Hyett had a volatile relationship with her husband, who was often away.

During Shannon’s disappearance, Hyett and her husband helped with searches for the youngster.