A COUPLE who wrongly claimed more than £200,000 in benefits over nearly two decades have been spared jail to look after their severely disabled daughter.

Former city council binman Kevan Barrett and partner Kerri Kinsey admitted falsely claiming £203,395 in housing benefit, income support and council tax benefit between 1992 and 2011.

The couple pleaded guilty to two counts of false accounting, while 41-year-old Kinsey also admitted 10 counts of making false representation to claim benefits.

Prosecutor Julian Lynch told Oxford Crown Court yesterday that Kinsey made the original false claim that she was a single parent living alone, but Barrett had been staying at the council property with her.

Mr Lynch said that over the period the pair, who had been together since their late teens, had been put into a number of council houses.

They were brought to justice through a joint investigation by Oxford City Council, the police and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with council officers calling it a “landmark case”.

City council investigations officer Kenneth Hodge told the Oxford Mail: “I have dealt with many cases over the years, but financially this is the biggest.”

Evidence was collected from banks, the NHS and Facebook showing they were taking holidays together, listing each other as next of kin and otherwise living together as a couple, Mr Lynch said.

In an interview with the Oxford Mail, city council investigations team boss Scott Warner and officer Mr Hodge said the crimes first came to light in October 2013.

The National Fraud Initiative discovered the pair were linked to the same address during a data-matching exercise, revealing that Kinsey was claiming means-tested benefits but had not declared she was living with Barrett.

After investigating further, the city council visited Kinsey and Barrett’s home in Stubbs Avenue, Slade Park, with police in August 2014 and the pair were arrested.

Barrett, also known as Kevan Kinch, initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty on the day of his trial. Kinsey made full admissions at a hearing in March.

But Peter Du Feu, defending Kinsey, said that at the time and over the 19 years, Barrett had not always been staying at the family home.

Mr Du Feu said Kinsey was the main carer for their daughter Chloe, now 23, who has the mental age of a six-year-old, is wheelchair bound and needs 24-hour support.

He added: “Kerri Kinsey has been bringing up her wonderful but severely disabled daughter. She is a quite remarkable woman and is thoroughly ashamed to be before this court.”

Jane Brady, defending Barrett, said the 45-year-old also cared for their daughter, especially now she was older and Kinsey needed extra support.

Oxford Mail:

  • Leniant: Kevan Barrett and Kerri Kinsey

Ms Brady said that having left his job with Oxford City Council’s refuse collection department Barrett was playing a more physical role in Chloe’s care.

Judge Ian Pringle QC told the couple that their crimes passed the custody threshold but said he could suspend the prison sentences because of the effect it would have on both their daughters.

Barrett was handed an 18-month prison sentence and Kinsey was given two years, but both jail terms were suspended for two years. The couple were also ordered to carry out a combined total of 420 hours’ unpaid work.