Cheat Jailed for Twelve Months After Failing to Declare Wife’s Bingo Winnings

A Father of four who was found guilty in Birmingham Crown Court of cheating the system when he claimed over ₤50,000 in benefits and failed to declare that his wife had won a ₤60,000 bingo win. Ian Winter was caught after a tip off, the forty year old handyman had claimed support for income, housing and council tax.

His wife Tracy, the winner of a ₤60,000 bingo prize was fuming when she spoke to the press outside the courthouse, she said that her husband had never done anything wrong before and accused the judge of being cranky when he ordered a hail sentence of twelve months. She said that it was because the Judge had to put up with a blue chair instead of a red one? She also said that people who steal much more money than he did from the social security system and only get ordered to community service.

The sponging, unemployed Ian, had been making claims on the dole for four years and while he was making the claims, based on being unable to work due to ill health, the couple had blown all the money from Tracey’s bingo jackpot on luxuries and had even enjoyed a couple of foreign holidays. Winter admitted to fraud.