A WEALTHY couple who owned property and bank accounts worth nearly half a million pounds have been sentenced after carrying out the biggest ever case of benefit fraud in the district.

Robert Martin, 49, of Crows Road, Epping was jailed for 30 months for the £130,000 fraud, but wife Samantha, 42, escaped with a 12-month suspended sentence after Chelmsford Crown Court heard she had played a lesser role in the affair.

The Martins began claiming benefits from Epping Forest District Council in 1994 and continued claiming for over 10 years. Together they claimed £68,872 in income support, £54,948 in housing benefit and £6,239 in council tax benefit.

They both initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed their plea earlier this year.

Prosecuting for the district council, Alison Lambert accepted Robert Martin, who has a previous conviction for fraud, had played by far the greater role in the case.

He had forged his wife's signatures on documents and pretended to be her brother during proceedings to sell a house she owned in Chivers Road, Chingford.

Mr Martin's barrister Gary Ryan said: “Mr Martin is taking a very realistic approach to these proceedings. He's come to court with his bags packed. He was the architect of this fraud, he was responsible for the fraud from its inception in 1994.”

He added the money the couple had made from their fraud had been entirely dissipated in living expenses.

Samantha Martin's barrister Sean Minihan said: “She's a woman of good character who's never been in this position before. She has four children including a 14-year-old.

“She's absolutely terrified about the effect on them and the shame brought on everybody - the shame brought on her parents who now want nothing to do with her.

“She's suffered depression and she's not a well woman. She's willing to do anything she can to stay with her family and clear the arrears. I urge the court to keep the family together.”

Recorder John Caudle said: “You were increasing the burden on the tax payers of this country and reducing the amount available for those who genuinely need it. It's therefore a very serious offence.”

He said he agreed Robert Martin had played the major role, telling Samantha Martin ‘I accept you were kept in ignorance of a lot of what was going on, and I accept you were under the influence of your husband’.

Samantha Martin, who kissed her husband goodbye as he was sent down, was herself sentenced to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Caudle declined to ask the Martins to pay the council's prosecution costs of £6,427. Mrs Martin's barrister had argued she had no money to pay it with.