A CHEATING businesswoman has been given a suspended jail sentence after she sold counterfeit goods in her shop and illegally claimed housing benefit on three different properties.

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday investigations began into the activities of Danielle Fisher in June 2011 after she claimed housing benefit on a house in Spruce Drive Mews, Netherton.

She said she was self-employed but it was a new business and was not yet receiving income.

She said her father, former Huddersfield Town chairman Terry Fisher, a wealthy businessman, owned the property and was her landlord.

But James Lake, prosecuting, said as a result of the application housing benefit was paid into her bank account.

On March 11, 2011 when an enforcement officer visited the property a neighbour said no-one was living there.

A letter was sent to Mr Fisher to establish who was living at the address and the reply indicated Fisher herself had moved out of the property in 2008 and was living at the time at an address in Lightenfield Lane, Netherton.

The benefits were therefore suspended and it appeared that led Danielle Fisher to contact Kirklees Council claiming she was moving out of Spruce Mews even though she had not lived there for a number of years.

Mr Lake said investigations showed it was Fisher herself who owned the property at Spruce Mews.

“This was therefore a dishonest and brazen claim from the outset.”

He said inquiries also revealed she owned a property in Crosland Hill, on which she was receiving rent, which she had failed to mention on her claim and which would automatically have disqualified her claim.

She had also received a caution in 2007 for making a benefit claim on that property.

During the inquiries it was then discovered she had also made a dishonest claim in relation to Lightenfield Lane, where she had acted as a landlord and a tenant’s housing benefit continued to be paid to her after that woman moved out. The total overpayment was £4,776.09.

“The defendant was receiving benefit for two properties at the same time that she was clearly not entitled to,” he said.

The court heard that in October 2010 Fisher had opened a business, Plan B in Lindley , selling unwanted fashion items on which she received some commission.

After complaints were received from some members of the public that she was selling counterfeit clothing, jewellery and cosmetics, West Yorkshire Trading Standards raided the shop on December 8, 2011.

They seized 78 counterfeit items from 16 different brands including Hugo Boss, Juicy Couture, Louis Vuitton which if genuine would have cost £4,282.

Fisher, 26, a mother of three of Grisedale Avenue, Birkby, admitted 23 trademark offences and four benefit frauds.

She was given a six-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months with 150 hours unpaid work and a high level activity requirement.

Recorder James Hill QC said the benefit offences were persistent and aggravated by her previous caution for a similar offence but guidelines indicated a limited sentence and it was better if she had the help that probation report suggested she was “crying out for.”

She might have had a privileged upbringing in terms of material things with a wealthy father but it was clear from reports and letters from relatives that emotionally she had not had a stable background.

In terms of the counterfeit items the public knew from the amount charged that it was not the real thing and it was the companies and their employees who were losing out.

Mohammed Nawaz, representing Fisher, said she had already sought help from Evolve in Huddersfield, a group which helps women offenders, and had “taken charge of the direction she wants to take her life.”