A MAN who told the Department for Work and Pensions that he had not received his Jobseekers allowance, had already cashed it and then went on to cash the replacement cheque, magistrates heard.

Andrew Martin signed a declaration that the giro for £153 had not been cashed by him or by anyone else with his knowledge and was sent a replacement for the same amount in April last year, stated Mutthu Suppia, prosecuting for the department.

But when an investigation was launched it was revealed that he had cashed both payments.

He was charged with making a false claim, but failed to appear at court on four occasions. A warrant for his arrest was then issued last month.

Martin, of Wilcot Avenue, Penhill, admitted making the false claim.

His solicitor Rob Ross said he was already repaying the money at the rate of £3 a week.

He explained that the reason the case had taken so long to come to court was because Martin had been in custody last year and shortly after his release his daughter had been born suffering from a liver condition, which was so serious that she was on the waiting list for a transplant.

The defendant had buried his head in the sand over the offence, but had called his lawyer and taken his advice to hand himself in.

The magistrates fined him £50 with £35 prosecution costs, but when he told them he was unable to pay immediately they directed that he should spend the rest of the morning's session in the cells in lieu of payment.