A FRAUDSTER has been given a suspended jail sentence after attempting to buy a council house using a government scheme to claim discounts of more than £78,000 each time

Gary Waller, from Preston Park in Brighton, was convicted on two counts of fraud by false representation when trying to buy two council houses using the government Right to Buy scheme.

The scheme allows tenants to buy their council home at a reduced cost, but Waller attempted to swindle the public purse with an application for £78,600 in April 2017 and £80,900 in October 2018.

Waller claimed he lived in a three-bedroom house in Elphick Road, Newhaven, as his only or principal home when he applied to buy it in 2017 and 2018.

The Argus: Waller claimed to be living in Elphick Road, NewhavenWaller claimed to be living in Elphick Road, Newhaven

But the 59-year-old had been living at various other addresses in Sussex for “some time”.

The false declarations and abandonment of the house were discovered by Lewes District Council’s counter fraud team, which undertook a thorough investigation of the case including covert surveillance of Waller that proved he was not living at Elphick Road

He was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on April 25 to two 24-month jail terms to run concurrently, both suspended for 24 months.

Waller is also required to complete 40 hours of unpaid work within 12 months, pay a victim surcharge order and full prosecution costs of £15,887 to be paid within two years at a rate of £662 per month.

The Argus: He will be paying almost £16,000 as part of prosecution costsHe will be paying almost £16,000 as part of prosecution costs

Councillor William Meyer, cabinet member for housing at Lewes District Council, said: “This case should be a deterrent to others who may think that fraud is a victimless crime and is a chance worth taking – it is not, this is money that would have come from the public purse.    

“Our counter fraud team carried out excellent work to gather all the evidence needed for conviction and we will continue to do all we can to prosecute people who commit this kind of fraud.  

“We remain the owner of the property in question and I am delighted that it is now home to a family with a genuine housing need.”  

In passing sentence, the judge, Recorder Sims, noted that an aggravating factor in these offences was the impact of Waller's fraudulent behaviour on those in need of council housing.