0:00:02 > 0:00:07Theft of public money costs the UK taxpayer over £20 billion a year.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11We estimated that he's stolen at least £34 million in income tax
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and possibly another four million on top of that.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16This is money which should be going into the public pot
0:00:16 > 0:00:19to spend on essential services.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21The victims in this case are the public
0:00:21 > 0:00:26and the money could have been used to build schools or fund hospitals.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30And there are specially-trained investigators making sure
0:00:30 > 0:00:32that justice is served.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34The system cannot be beaten.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36They will be held to account at some point.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42In this series, we meet the men and women across the UK committed to
0:00:42 > 0:00:46catching criminals who steal from you and me - the British taxpayer.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But we also hear stories from people who genuinely
0:00:54 > 0:00:56need help from public money.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I just didn't know where to turn, really, or what to do.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02From a father's point of view, I would have done anything to
0:01:02 > 0:01:05take that pain away from him, because that was unbearable.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08That was tough, really tough.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12And sometimes they don't even realise they are entitled to it.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I didn't know there was anything better out there
0:01:14 > 0:01:16until she started at the Institute.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Coming up, a fraudster claiming benefits
0:01:22 > 0:01:24to fund a secret life in Spain...
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Is it that cut and dried, then? The benefits shouldn't be paid?
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Yes, that's a capital asset,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32so his claim form was false from the outset.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35He hadn't declared that property.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37..a surveillance team catch out a baseball coach
0:01:37 > 0:01:40claiming disability benefits...
0:01:40 > 0:01:44And there he is, he just sprinted from a standing start,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47bent down confidently, picked up that ball and threw it.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50All the very things he said he is unable to do.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58..and a family determined to provide a happy future for their daughter.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I think some children with Down's syndrome
0:02:00 > 0:02:03perhaps don't realise how different they are,
0:02:03 > 0:02:08but I think Meg gets that she can't quite do things.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11So her behaviour echoes, sometimes,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15that frustration at not being quite able to do what other people do.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Sun, sea and sand offer a lifestyle many Brits crave.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28It's one that some seek out when they head towards retirement,
0:02:28 > 0:02:33but life abroad also attracts criminals on the fiddle.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35When we discovered he had assets abroad,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39we believed that he would not have been entitled to housing benefit,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43council tax benefit, or employment and support allowance.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Having lived in the UK for most of his life,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Nigel Hadley is one of over 700,000 Brits
0:02:49 > 0:02:53who moved to Spain to start a new life on the Costas.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54The name Nigel Hadley
0:02:54 > 0:02:58was first brought to DWP's attention in about 2013
0:02:58 > 0:03:03following an on-off allegation that he appeared to be living in Spain,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08or spending a lot of time in Spain despite being on benefits.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11However, just because you're on the golden shores of the Med,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14it doesn't mean you're immune from investigations.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It just means the authorities have to work a little bit harder
0:03:17 > 0:03:18to catch you.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21In 2012, fraud investigator Karen Evans
0:03:21 > 0:03:23from Pembrokeshire Council
0:03:23 > 0:03:26received a tipoff about council tenant Nigel Hadley,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30who'd moved back to the UK in 2009 after spending a decade in Marbella.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I understand that Nigel Hadley,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39after he'd been living in Spain for some years and working in Spain,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43had a stroke and was therefore unable to work,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48and without being able to work, I think he'd decided that he would
0:03:48 > 0:03:51come back to this country, which is the reason for him coming back.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Hadley was reliant on government help
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and applied for benefits and somewhere to live.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Apparently, after giving up his life in Marbella,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03he wanted the next best thing.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Tenby is known as the jewel in Pembrokeshire's crown.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14It's a beautiful little coastal town, very popular with tourists
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and lots of people would love to live here.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Nigel Hadley was awarded a council property
0:04:20 > 0:04:23here in Tenby on the basis that he was homeless
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and was very lucky to be given that opportunity.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32But, if the information from the tipoff was accurate,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34it seemed that it wasn't good enough for Hadley,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37who was allegedly going away for three to four months at a time.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44I visited Nigel Hadley in July 2012 to check whether he was resident,
0:04:44 > 0:04:49whether he'd vacated or if he had a temporary absence.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51When I called at the property,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55he was at home and I was able to discuss the situation with him.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59He advised me that he did spend periods of time in Spain
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and that he had relatives out there, but that he was only out
0:05:02 > 0:05:06there for a maximum of two to three weeks at a time and that he'd only
0:05:06 > 0:05:11been to Spain three times since he was allocated the council property.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15But I was still suspicious as to how they could be possibly spending
0:05:15 > 0:05:18so much time in Spain whilst in receipt of benefits
0:05:18 > 0:05:23and I decided, as a consequence of that, to ask him to keep me informed
0:05:23 > 0:05:26of all this temporary absences and to try and dig a little deeper.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33So Karen trawled through council records to see
0:05:33 > 0:05:36if she could find any clues to confirm her suspicions.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Nigel Hadley had previously lived in Pembrokeshire
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and owned a substantial property.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I discovered that he had actually given us a forwarding address
0:05:47 > 0:05:51on his council tax records that was a care of address in Spain.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55That was going back to 2001, so I was concerned then
0:05:55 > 0:05:59that if he had given us an address in Spain at that time, that he could
0:05:59 > 0:06:03have actually purchased a property there or owned a property there.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Karen also discovered that after he moved back to the UK in 2009, Hadley
0:06:08 > 0:06:13claimed to be homeless and that he was forced to live with friends.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15If you own a property in this country or abroad
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and you then claim homelessness, you're not truly homeless
0:06:19 > 0:06:23and under those circumstances, under normal circumstances, you wouldn't
0:06:23 > 0:06:27be allocated a council property based on the fact that you were homeless.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Anyone with assets worth more than £16,000 doesn't qualify
0:06:31 > 0:06:36for income support and it would affect other benefits.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40If Hadley did own a property in Spain, not only was he not homeless,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44but any property he had was likely to be worth more than the threshold.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50After I had my suspicions about the address in Spain, I contacted
0:06:50 > 0:06:53the Department For Work And Pensions, their fraud investigation service,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57to see if they were able to actually obtain details of
0:06:57 > 0:07:02the address in Spain to see who the legal owner of the property may be.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Cases like Hadley's are known as abroad fraud.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08It's a problem with which the head
0:07:08 > 0:07:11of the DWP's fraud investigation unit,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Jackie Raja, has become very familiar.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Jackie, it's a new term for me, what is abroad fraud?
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Abroad fraud refers to any instance
0:07:20 > 0:07:24where a customer who's making a claim in the UK,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26we then find out that there is some connection
0:07:26 > 0:07:28with a potential fraud abroad.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32So what are the main types of fraud that you witness, then?
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Erm, some of the main types are, perhaps,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37where a relative has died abroad
0:07:37 > 0:07:41and obviously people who are British citizens can get, for example,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44a state pension abroad quite legitimately.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47But if they die, sometimes that pension is continued to be
0:07:47 > 0:07:49claimed by relatives at home.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52It may be, actually, just moving abroad and not telling us,
0:07:52 > 0:07:57it may be claiming a benefit in the UK that is not transportable
0:07:57 > 0:08:01and failing to declare, it may be changing your circumstances
0:08:01 > 0:08:03when you are abroad and not telling us about that.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05So there's a whole range of different things
0:08:05 > 0:08:06that constitute abroad fraud.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11So are we talking about sizeable amounts of money for the country?
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Yes, abroad fraud constitutes, at the moment, possibly around
0:08:14 > 0:08:19£120 million of lost public funds from the total money lost to fraud.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Until recently, there wasn't a department dedicated
0:08:23 > 0:08:26to dealing with the sun-kissed scammer,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28but in 2008, all this changed
0:08:28 > 0:08:32with the arrival of the DWP's abroad fraud team.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36So why was a specialist team created in the first place?
0:08:36 > 0:08:38It came to our attention that we were getting more
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and more allegations of benefit fraud involving people
0:08:42 > 0:08:45who lived abroad, so that alerted us to
0:08:45 > 0:08:48the fact that we probably needed to put some more resource into
0:08:48 > 0:08:53looking at this type of fraud, and since then, the team has grown.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58They are the primary contact for any allegation where abroad fraud
0:08:58 > 0:09:01is the primary offence that we think has been committed
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and they are the people that will make direct contact
0:09:04 > 0:09:08with the people in the cities or the offices, consulates,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11or our own offices, indeed, who are based in,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14for example, Spain, to get the information locally.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20And after Karen became suspicious that Nigel Hadley owned a property
0:09:20 > 0:09:25in Spain, the abroad fraud team took on the case in September 2012.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30So...Nigel Hadley - when did you first hear that name?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Nigel Hadley first came to the attention of the DWP through
0:09:33 > 0:09:36an allegation received, I think, from a neighbour,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39which was sent through the local authority to say that
0:09:39 > 0:09:42he seemed to be spending rather a lot of time in Spain for somebody
0:09:42 > 0:09:46who was on benefit and was not able to work.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49And that was what you knew about him up to that point,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53he was receiving benefits because he wasn't able to work?
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Yeah, he was in receipt of employment support allowance
0:09:56 > 0:10:00and housing benefits and council tax benefits and had been for some time.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03OK, so where do you go next in your investigation?
0:10:03 > 0:10:07You're a little bit suspicious, or concerned
0:10:07 > 0:10:09that someone's claiming benefits while they have
0:10:09 > 0:10:13a substantial asset overseas. Does that change things for you?
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Yes, it starts to ring some alarm bells
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and it was judged that this was a case worth investigating.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Abroad fraud is an issue for the department
0:10:24 > 0:10:26of people not telling us what they're doing
0:10:26 > 0:10:31and so the case was referred to our intelligence unit, who made
0:10:31 > 0:10:36contact with officials in Spain who work with the DWP
0:10:36 > 0:10:41very closely to see if there was any record of him having any
0:10:41 > 0:10:44property or asset in Spain.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47And is it like it is in the UK?
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Because here we have a Land Registry which has a name next
0:10:49 > 0:10:53to every property which you can access fairly readily.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Is it as straightforward in a country like Spain?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Yes, we have people in Spain who work
0:10:58 > 0:11:01partly with the Spanish Authority
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and partly for the DWP specifically dealing with benefit claims.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And there is a Land Registry in Spain
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and the staff that we've got out there looked at the Land Registry and found, indeed,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15that Nigel Hadley did have a property registered in his name
0:11:15 > 0:11:20in Spain, entirely in his name, and it was on the Spanish records.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Paint me a picture, what was it like?
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Was it the sort of place I'd like to go on holiday?
0:11:26 > 0:11:32Well, the property was subsequently valued at about £90,000, so I would
0:11:32 > 0:11:37guess it was quite a pleasant villa in Marbella, from what I understand.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Right. And is it that cut and dried, then?
0:11:40 > 0:11:41The benefits shouldn't be paid?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Yes, that's a capital asset,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Nigel Hadley had declared on his form that he had no property
0:11:48 > 0:11:52or assets either at home or abroad, so his claim form was false
0:11:52 > 0:11:55from the outset, he hadn't declared that property.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57If we'd have known about that, we would have done some
0:11:57 > 0:11:59investigation into the value of that property
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and he wouldn't have been entitled to benefit
0:12:02 > 0:12:05because that would have counted as an asset that exceeded
0:12:05 > 0:12:08the amount of money that you're allowed to have
0:12:08 > 0:12:09whilst you're on benefits.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13The team had also discovered that Hadley had applied
0:12:13 > 0:12:16for a Spanish passport and was clearly intent on sunning
0:12:16 > 0:12:20himself in Spain whilst stealing benefits he wasn't entitled to.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Later, would the team be able to convict Hadley and, vitally,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28get back the money he'd scammed?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Now, while there is a small minority who lie and cheat their way
0:12:37 > 0:12:40to lining their own pockets courtesy of the taxpayer,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44there are some people who don't let anything in life hold them back.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Megan Wilcox is one of the country's most up-and-coming young riders,
0:12:49 > 0:12:54but this 12-year-old has come a long way to achieve success in her sport.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- I walk and leap, usually, and then we try a bit harder.- OK.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01I'll see you in a minute.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05When Megan was born in February 2002 with Down's syndrome,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08her parents had no idea how it could affect
0:13:08 > 0:13:11her chances of a full and active life.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Our first reaction when she was born,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17the first one they talk about, you having to grieve for the child
0:13:17 > 0:13:19you think you're going to have, because it hasn't quite
0:13:19 > 0:13:23gone as you expect and I think that when people talk to us about...
0:13:23 > 0:13:26You have to get used to the idea that you're not going to have
0:13:26 > 0:13:28a child who may grow up, go to university, get married,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31have babies, etc, etc and you have to, kind of,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33come to terms with that.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I remember the feeling of complete, kind of, failure.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43But once Megan's diagnosis had sunk in, Rachel and Graham
0:13:43 > 0:13:47were able to enjoy the early stages of parenthood.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Meg was always quite a determined character, she was always
0:13:50 > 0:13:55quite active and in terms of her developmental milestones, she made
0:13:55 > 0:13:58a lot of those in what they would call ordinary boundaries,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01so she walked before she was 18 months and
0:14:01 > 0:14:04she sat up before she was seven months, which is
0:14:04 > 0:14:07kind of what they would consider ordinary - I hate that word -
0:14:07 > 0:14:10but within ordinary milestones.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Some children with Down's syndrome
0:14:12 > 0:14:15take longer to make those milestones.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19The family were reluctant to ask for any sort of benefits,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22but when Rachel decided to go back to work after Megan's
0:14:22 > 0:14:24younger brother Jamie was born,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27she discovered she wouldn't be able to do a full-time job
0:14:27 > 0:14:29AND give Megan the care she needed,
0:14:29 > 0:14:34so the family was forced to turn to the local authority for help.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Meg receives Disability Living Allowance
0:14:37 > 0:14:40to help with the additional care she needs, the costs involved
0:14:40 > 0:14:44of hospital visits and appointments, which, kind of, has helped,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47perhaps, my need not to go back to work full-time.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I work part-time and Meg's additional appointments
0:14:49 > 0:14:52would have made working full-time quite difficult,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55so that Disability Living Allowance has helped,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58you know, meet those needs.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00The family was able to find a routine that helped them
0:15:00 > 0:15:04to cope until Megan was old enough to go to school.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Graham and Rachel then found themselves facing
0:15:07 > 0:15:09a vital decision about their daughter's future.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11When we started looking at schools for Meg,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14we did look into the possibility of her going to a special school,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18but we felt at the time it wasn't appropriate to Meg's needs.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19She didn't need to be in a special school,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23she'd been in a mainstream playgroup without additional support
0:15:23 > 0:15:27and it wasn't necessary. She was mixing with ordinary children,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30so there was no option - she was going to mainstream school
0:15:30 > 0:15:32because it was the right thing for her.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Megan had lots of friends at school where she was happy
0:15:35 > 0:15:39and made good progress, but as she's got older, she's become more
0:15:39 > 0:15:44and more upset as the gap between her and her classmates has grown.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Obviously she has a learning difficulty, so acquiring any
0:15:47 > 0:15:51knowledge takes longer than for the majority of children.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54And latterly, the hardest thing for her has been
0:15:54 > 0:15:59the social side of school as she doesn't mature at the same rate
0:15:59 > 0:16:01as her peers, that she's not quite on the same level
0:16:01 > 0:16:03as her peers socially.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06So I love you so much.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Understandably, it's had a knock-on effect on Megan's emotional
0:16:09 > 0:16:13well-being and behaviour and despite the best efforts of her parents
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and teachers, she's begun to feel increasingly isolated.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20She definitely has levels of frustration that she can't do
0:16:20 > 0:16:23what other people do, she can't do what her peers do.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I think some children with Down's syndrome, perhaps,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28don't realise how different they are,
0:16:28 > 0:16:33but I think Meg gets that she can't quite do things.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36She is close enough that she understands,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39so her behaviour echoes, sometimes,
0:16:39 > 0:16:44that frustration at not being quite able to do what other people do.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50But Rachel and Graham have always known that this stage would come,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54so, from a young age, they've made sure that Megan's had
0:16:54 > 0:16:56other interests on which she can focus.
0:16:57 > 0:17:03Meg's interest in horse riding probably was kick-started by me.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06We were swimming through the physiotherapy unit
0:17:06 > 0:17:08at Harrogate Hospital
0:17:08 > 0:17:11and then they used the riding as a way of moving children on.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14After that, and I'd seen the photos,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16so, from Meg being about six months I'd, kind of,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19asked the question, "When can we go riding, please?"
0:17:19 > 0:17:20How you doing?
0:17:20 > 0:17:21Oh, it's great to see you.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Megan's physiotherapist is Lucy Longden,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26who also works as a volunteer for
0:17:26 > 0:17:29the Follifoot Park Disabled Riding Group.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32For little ones with Down's syndrome,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36their muscle tone is very low, so they're very floppy.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38So they're often late walking,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40late doing all their motor skills,
0:17:40 > 0:17:45so it gives them some core strength work because they have two hold on
0:17:45 > 0:17:46to the pony when they're sitting on it,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48so it's really good for posture.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50They don't realise that they're doing it,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53they're having a bit of fun on the pony and so it's probably
0:17:53 > 0:17:57a good physio session that they haven't actually even known about.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59So we find it really helpful.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01It's very good for communication
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and that's often something that they find difficult.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07As Rachel has ridden for most of her life,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10she was aware of how much it could benefit Megan.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13She loved it from the start.
0:18:13 > 0:18:14She loved being on the ponies.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19I think she's always enjoyed being able to dictate what happened.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Rachel was soon taking Megan to the riding group every weekend
0:18:23 > 0:18:25and it was clear they'd found a place
0:18:25 > 0:18:27where Megan felt she fitted in.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29She loved the people that we went to meet
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and as she was there more often, she had a social group of friends
0:18:33 > 0:18:36that had like interests, which was always something that was
0:18:36 > 0:18:38really important to her and that, I think,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42for someone with her level of need is priceless.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Since coming to the centre, Megan has made some very close
0:18:45 > 0:18:48friends and their common bond over the horses has allowed her
0:18:48 > 0:18:53confidence to blossom. By pushing herself in something she loves,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56she's now more accepting of the things that limit her.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57Do you want a whip?
0:18:57 > 0:19:01- No, I don't need a whip. - She's got a good voice.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Ever since I was young, I always wanted to go on horses
0:19:05 > 0:19:08because the first time that I got on,
0:19:08 > 0:19:13I felt like I needed to be happy, so I started horse riding.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19Now I've grown and now I can feel like I've never felt like,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I'm really happy at the end of this time
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and I feel like I'm so happy.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Once she started to feel comfortable at the riding school,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Megan began to show signs of genuine talent
0:19:33 > 0:19:37and soon started riding with children far beyond her age.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I think she was the youngest by seven or eight years.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43They were all so much bigger and stronger than she was,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45but she began to do the things that they were doing
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and her riding began to progress and that was
0:19:48 > 0:19:53when she began to take more interest in riding, generally, as a sport
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and her desire to do what other people were doing grew.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59"I want to do this myself, I want to do this by my own,"
0:19:59 > 0:20:01would have been her words, probably.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Her skill levels grew, that she was able to be more independent
0:20:05 > 0:20:07and to ride more independently.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10What was so vital for Megan was that, rather than
0:20:10 > 0:20:13feeling like she was being left behind and increasingly
0:20:13 > 0:20:16distant to her friends, she now had something in which she could
0:20:16 > 0:20:20excel and that she was proud to tell everyone about.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Meg then started to show more desire to ride at the highest level
0:20:24 > 0:20:28and that involves competition, as far as she was concerned.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31I started to look for Riding For The Disabled competitions
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and it was the beginning of 2013 we, sort of, made the move
0:20:34 > 0:20:39to go to a Riding For The Disabled Association Centre in Leeds
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and she took part in her first dressage competition
0:20:42 > 0:20:44on one of their ponies, and that really was the,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47sort of, the start of her desire to want to do more and more.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Being her first-ever event, Megan competed in
0:20:51 > 0:20:55the under 16's category and she finished in second place.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57We were really proud of her, so we're quite a sporty,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59competitive family, anyway.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00For her to compete
0:21:00 > 0:21:04and to really be competing on a par with other children was
0:21:04 > 0:21:07definitely a proud moment and, yeah, we were right behind her,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10wanting to give her that chance and actually, to sort of, maybe,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12fulfil that potential that she was showing.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Maybe she did have some talent and she could achieve something more.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19This meant riding more regularly and fellow young disabled rider,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Izzy Palmer, offered Megan the use of her pony, Dunkie,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27who Megan now looks after at stables just minutes for the family home.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29So she started to ride Dunkie a couple of times a week
0:21:29 > 0:21:33and then that grew and grew and she's now ours to look after
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and Meg gets to ride her pretty much
0:21:35 > 0:21:38when she wants, which has allowed her to practise more
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and more and to really move her riding on to the next level.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44That led Megan to qualify for the dressage event
0:21:44 > 0:21:46at the Riding For The Disabled Association's
0:21:46 > 0:21:49national championships in Gloucestershire.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52It's a huge, huge event over three days with,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55sort of, 400 competitors and she competed on Sunday morning
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and she finished fifth in one of her classes,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02which, as a national achievement at her stage, is just brilliant
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and the plan is to go again next year and win.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09And Megan now has her sights firmly set on the top and hopes
0:22:09 > 0:22:12to emulate the success of fellow para-riders
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Sophie Wells and Izzy Palmer.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16My dream, well, I want to be competing,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19showjumping and sprinting.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23I'd love to enter the Olympics and my two...
0:22:23 > 0:22:29The two that inspire me the most are Izzy Palmer and Sophie Wells
0:22:29 > 0:22:34because Sophie Wells was a paralympic rider who rides Nocchi
0:22:34 > 0:22:39and Izzy Palmer, she's been really nice to me and when she
0:22:39 > 0:22:43arrives, I'm like, "Oh, my word, you have done incredible,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45"Izzy, I love you so much."
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Keen to share the news of her recent success, Megan and Rachel have come
0:22:49 > 0:22:54down to see staff and friends at the riding school where it all started.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58I love it. It's that, kind of, so many good memories here.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59It's always nice to come back
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and see the new ponies as well as all the old faces,
0:23:02 > 0:23:03it's really lovely.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Seeing her on these ponies makes me feel quite nostalgic.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08She rode here for such a long time.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11It's really emotional seeing... Particularly on the back of...
0:23:11 > 0:23:14She's just been to the national championships
0:23:14 > 0:23:17this weekend and seeing her do this on the back of that, kind of,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19brings that journey into perspective.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Riding trainer Lucy is very proud of Megan's progress.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28From our point of view, it is absolutely unique.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33She is a very special little girl who started just going through
0:23:33 > 0:23:36the ranks here and has actually moved on
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and moved away from here up to another rung.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Good old Meg, absolutely brilliant.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Look at him, he's so big now!
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Over the years, Lucy's also witnessed
0:23:49 > 0:23:51other changes in Megan's life.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Her confidence has just grown and grown.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58She would never have spoken as she did today, she would never
0:23:58 > 0:24:02have talked like that in the early days, so it's lovely.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03And it's clear to see the effect
0:24:03 > 0:24:06that the riding school has had on Megan.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Is it good being back here?
0:24:10 > 0:24:12- We've not been for a while, have we? - No.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Do you know what makes me laugh?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17When you stand at the fence with your head through the bars,
0:24:17 > 0:24:18you've spent hours like that,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20standing on the fence with your head through the bars,
0:24:20 > 0:24:25- watching people ride and jump and say, "I want to do that!" - I remember that.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29This is a place that Megan can really call her own.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31It's quite surreal,
0:24:31 > 0:24:36because I haven't been here for quite a while and now I'm back
0:24:36 > 0:24:38and I feel really happy,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40because I feel like I'm back in my comfort zone
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and I like to be here, sometimes.
0:24:43 > 0:24:49I used to come here to see the other children, or whatever
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and I just get really...get warmed up
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and I feel like I'm going to be confident soon.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59You're being confident when you're here and you see all your friends.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01- Yeah.- It's nice, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Rachel knows the role that the riding school
0:25:04 > 0:25:07has played in Megan's amazing journey.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Without the opportunities provided by Lucy and the volunteers,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14we certainly wouldn't be achieving what we're beginning to achieve.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17You know, they've given us that possibility, that chance
0:25:17 > 0:25:22to start and we will for ever, ever be grateful for that opportunity.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27The ability to ride has given Megan the freedom to get on a pony
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and be just like any other young girl.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32We are incredibly proud of Meg.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I get really quite emotional about what she's achieved
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and where she's come from.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39She copes with quite a lot and she does really well.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43And I'm proud of the fact that she is challenging stereotypes,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46she is challenging perceptions of children with Down's syndrome.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50She's not a wallflower that sits and lets life pass her by,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54she is a very determined young lady and perhaps, given some
0:25:54 > 0:25:58opportunities, she may achieve something brilliant.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08There are plenty of people determined to make
0:26:08 > 0:26:12the most of every opportunity they have, but there are a tiny minority
0:26:12 > 0:26:16who prefer to steal from the state in search of an easy life.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Baseball is a physical game, played by athletic sportsmen
0:26:21 > 0:26:23and women with a range of skills.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Despite being Americans' national pastime,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30the sport actually originated in England in the 18th century.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34The town of Plymouth has its very own baseballing hero.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Martin Wilson was the coach of the Plymouth Mariners and he was
0:26:37 > 0:26:41so respected in the local community that a baseball ground had been
0:26:41 > 0:26:45named Wilson Field to recognise his contribution to the sport.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48But away from the field, in 2012,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51his local legend came to the attention of Steve Cowell,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54the fraud manager at the Plymouth arm
0:26:54 > 0:26:56of the Department For Work And Pensions.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Martin Wilson claimed incapacity benefit in 2001.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04This is a benefit for people who are unable to work because of illness.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09Wilson had developed severe rheumatoid arthritis in 2001
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and his condition was so bad he was deemed eligible for DLA.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15This is Martin Wilson's initial claim
0:27:15 > 0:27:18for disability living allowance.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21On this form, he's represented himself as severely disabled.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24He stated that he'd use a walking stick,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27but found it very difficult to hold on to a walking stick
0:27:27 > 0:27:31due to pain in his hands, stated he couldn't bend over without pain
0:27:31 > 0:27:34and that he needed someone with him when he was out.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So, taking this at face value,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40this is a case of someone who is severely disabled who needed
0:27:40 > 0:27:44quite a high degree of support outside and inside the home.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Wilson was undoubtedly suffering when he put in his initial claim
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and was receiving the highest rate of disability living allowance,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55meaning that in total, he was receiving over £200 a week.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It was made clear to Martin Wilson on his benefit claim forms
0:27:59 > 0:28:03and on renewal notices that it was his personal responsibility
0:28:03 > 0:28:07to declare any changes in his circumstances.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10But over ten years after Wilson's original claim,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Steve received a tipoff from a member of the public.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16The department received an allegation that Martin Wilson was in fact
0:28:16 > 0:28:19working while claiming his disability benefit
0:28:19 > 0:28:22and stated that the nature of the work he was undertaking -
0:28:22 > 0:28:26quite strenuous, physical building work - was incompatible with
0:28:26 > 0:28:29the declarations he was making to the department.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34As with all allegations, Steve and his team started to investigate.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37We checked benefit claim records to see if he had told us
0:28:37 > 0:28:40about any changes in his circumstances,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42and, in fact, he hadn't - he was still telling the department
0:28:42 > 0:28:45that he had been disabled since 2001,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49and, in fact, that his condition had actually worsened.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Steve had also gathered information that Wilson was still coaching
0:28:53 > 0:28:55and playing for the Plymouth Mariners.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00It was time to find out for himself if the allegations were true.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03The next step was to build a picture of exactly
0:29:03 > 0:29:08what Martin Wilson's capabilities - his physical capabilities - were.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11As there had been no changes declared to the department,
0:29:11 > 0:29:16we decided to undertake a covert surveillance operation to get
0:29:16 > 0:29:19first-hand recorded footage of his activities.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Based on the intelligence he'd gathered,
0:29:21 > 0:29:25Steve didn't have much trouble finding Wilson.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Because we'd had specific dates and times
0:29:28 > 0:29:31that Martin Wilson was undertaking his baseball activities,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35we were able to target the surveillance activity
0:29:35 > 0:29:36at those times and dates.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Because of the nature of his work, one of the investigators who'd
0:29:41 > 0:29:44carried out the surveillance has asked to remain anonymous.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Well, this is Wilson Field, the main baseball diamond in Plymouth
0:29:48 > 0:29:51where the matches are held for the Plymouth Mariners.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53It's a good spot to do surveillance.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55The majority of the surveillance we do is what's known
0:29:55 > 0:29:58as covert surveillance, which is undercover surveillance.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00But in a situation like this, it's quite possible
0:30:00 > 0:30:03to do open surveillance - you can actually use a camera,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06it's not unexpected that somebody would come and actually take a film
0:30:06 > 0:30:10of the actual baseball match going on, or activities within the park.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14But the surveillance team were taking nothing for granted,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17because if their cover was blown, Wilson would know all about them.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20The two of us were sat on the bench watching the game
0:30:20 > 0:30:22just about to start and some of the actual players
0:30:22 > 0:30:24from the Mariners team came up and had a chat with us
0:30:24 > 0:30:27and, sort of, said it was really nice to see some people along
0:30:27 > 0:30:31watching the baseball and they even commented that it was, you know,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33a great idea to bring a camera along,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35they wished they'd brought theirs.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38But what the players and the coach didn't know was that everything
0:30:38 > 0:30:43they filmed was going straight back to the fraud department at the DWP.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46This is Martin Wilson with his name emblazoned on the back
0:30:46 > 0:30:48of his baseball shirt.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52Martin Wilson is leading a practice session at Wilson Field,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55the field named after him.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Very active here, despite the fact that he told the department
0:30:59 > 0:31:03he often used a stick when he was outdoors because of his imbalance,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06that he had a fear of falling over and needed somebody with him.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Martin has now decided to take a turn at batting.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14He stated on his claim form that he was unable to grip,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17that he was unable to lift his arms above his shoulders,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20but here you see him gripping confidently,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23swinging the bat, the baseball bat
0:31:23 > 0:31:27and lifting it above his shoulders waiting for the ball to be pitched.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32And there he is, he's just sprinted from a standing start,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35bent down confidently, picked up that ball and threw it.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41All the very things that he said he was unable to do
0:31:41 > 0:31:43when claiming disability living allowance.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It was just almost like the best possible thing
0:31:49 > 0:31:53we could have had as evidence to put before the decision-makers
0:31:53 > 0:31:55who question Martin Wilson's entitlement.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59The evidence was so convincing that after just three trips
0:31:59 > 0:32:02to Wilson Field, the man after whom it was named
0:32:02 > 0:32:07was brought into DWP's fraud offices to be questioned under caution.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10When interviewed, Martin Wilson initially stated
0:32:10 > 0:32:14that his condition had worsened, that he needed more support
0:32:14 > 0:32:17than he even declared on his benefit claim declarations.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20However, when showed the wealth of evidence,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23the surveillance footage that we had, he was clearly at a loss
0:32:23 > 0:32:27to explain it and agreed that his condition had dramatically improved.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33Having thrown Wilson a curveball, the team passed all the evidence
0:32:33 > 0:32:38to another department who'd be able to work out how much he'd stolen.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42The benefit decision-maker had decided that £14,500
0:32:42 > 0:32:46worth of benefits had been wrongly paid to Martin Wilson because
0:32:46 > 0:32:50he hadn't correctly informed the department of his true circumstances.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53It was another swing and another miss for Wilson.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Obviously, from a, sort of, professional point of view,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58it feels very good if you actually get sufficient
0:32:58 > 0:33:01evidence to satisfy the decision-maker.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05After, sort of, three occasions... You know, it justifies your job.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11In February 2014, Wilson went before Plymouth Magistrates Court,
0:33:11 > 0:33:12charged with benefit fraud.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Martin Wilson pleaded guilty in view of the wealth of evidence that
0:33:17 > 0:33:21we'd collected showing that he was substantially more capable
0:33:21 > 0:33:22than he'd represented.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26In fact, the judge stated that he was significantly more capable than
0:33:26 > 0:33:28he had declared to the department.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31He was sentenced to four months' imprisonment,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34which was suspended for two years,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38and he was told that he had to pay back the £14,500 that he'd stolen.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Wilson had gone from local hero to convicted fraudster,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46and, for Steve, it's a simple case of give and take.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52People who commit benefit fraud, like Martin Wilson,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55it isn't a victimless crime, they are taking money
0:33:55 > 0:34:00from the taxpayer, from the community and from those more deserving.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Thanks to Steve and the team, the money Wilson stole
0:34:03 > 0:34:05is now on its way back into the public purse.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10It was a very efficient exercise and I think the sentence
0:34:10 > 0:34:15and Martin Wilson's guilty plea showed that the team
0:34:15 > 0:34:17had conducted a great investigation.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26With determined fraudsters looking for ways to con their way
0:34:26 > 0:34:30to our cash, sometimes stopping them takes drastic measures
0:34:30 > 0:34:33and occasionally you might need a new law or two.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39This country has a proud history of providing council housing
0:34:39 > 0:34:43for those in need, but now it's in very high demand.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46There is a shortage of social housing properties
0:34:46 > 0:34:51and affordable rent properties within the majority of the London boroughs.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54But the annual cost of people fraudulently claiming
0:34:54 > 0:34:58housing benefit in the UK is £1.8 billion a year,
0:34:58 > 0:35:03some of which is made up from people subletting their council properties.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06If people sublet their properties,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09chances are they have somewhere else to live and so that means
0:35:09 > 0:35:13that the rightful person isn't living in that property.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15There are a number of other people who are on
0:35:15 > 0:35:19waiting lists for council properties who need these properties.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Up to 2013, the only punishment that could be handed out to
0:35:23 > 0:35:27the crooks carrying out subletting was to take their property from them
0:35:27 > 0:35:30so it could be given to those in desperate need.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32But recently, all that has changed.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013
0:35:37 > 0:35:40came into effect on 15 October 2013.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Having this new act has made subletting
0:35:43 > 0:35:45a criminal offence in its own right.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Now people are aware that subletting either their council property
0:35:49 > 0:35:53or their housing association property is in itself a fraud.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Several authorities have been quick to enforce the new laws
0:35:57 > 0:36:01and stamp out an unnecessary burden on the housing system.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04And so this act, which enables us to prosecute
0:36:04 > 0:36:08and then repossess properties if people are subletting,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12frees up those properties for genuine people who need social housing
0:36:12 > 0:36:15and will abide by the tenancy rules.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Chantel had a case passed to her from the council audit team
0:36:22 > 0:36:25that demonstrated why these new laws are so vital.
0:36:27 > 0:36:32They had received a tipoff from a subtenant of a council property
0:36:32 > 0:36:36who advised them that he'd been renting this property
0:36:36 > 0:36:39for approximately a month and had suspicions that it was
0:36:39 > 0:36:43a council tenancy that had been illegally sublet to him.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47The tipoff gave the name of the landlord as Daniel Calvin Harvey.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Once we got the referral through, our first point of call was to go
0:36:51 > 0:36:53and interview the subtenant
0:36:53 > 0:36:57and then take a witness statement from him which he was happy to do.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Mr Harvey had also provided his tenant with paperwork.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Mr Harvey created a false tenancy, then gave that to the subtenant
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and in it he said that he was the landlord
0:37:08 > 0:37:12and charged £650 per month in rent.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16He also took £650 as a deposit for the property.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20But Chantel was having difficulty tracking down
0:37:20 > 0:37:22her target face-to-face.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25She'd given Mr Harvey numerous opportunities to explain himself,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28but he'd failed to attend every time.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Although Mr Harvey did not turn up for any interviews under caution,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35we believed that we had enough evidence
0:37:35 > 0:37:38to prosecute for the sublet.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41So we put a prosecution file together, it was authorised
0:37:41 > 0:37:43and then sent to our legal department.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50And this meant that his fate was in the hands of the courts.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56Mr Harvey was convicted on 31 July 2013 at Stratford Magistrates' Court
0:37:56 > 0:38:00for two offences under the Fraud Act 2006,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04the first being fraud by false representation and the second being
0:38:04 > 0:38:07failure to disclose information to Newham Council.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Mr Harvey was sentenced to three weeks in prison
0:38:10 > 0:38:13for each offence to run concurrently.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Mr Harvey had to give back the keys to his property,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20which was freed up to be given to someone who genuinely needed it.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25His receiving a custodial sentence was quite significant for the council
0:38:25 > 0:38:29in that it sent out a message to others that subletting your property
0:38:29 > 0:38:32is an offence, we will prosecute you
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and the likelihood is that you will go to prison for it.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42New powers and resources that investigators have mean that
0:38:42 > 0:38:46no matter how far benefit cheats go to spend their stolen sterling,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48fraud departments will come after them.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Back in Pembrokeshire, a joint operation involving the council,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55the Department For Work And Pensions
0:38:55 > 0:38:59and the DWP's abroad fraud team had discovered that scammer
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Nigel Hadley owned a property in Spain while claiming benefits
0:39:03 > 0:39:07and living in a council property in the picturesque town of Tenby.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12If Mr Hadley had declared his property correctly,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15he wouldn't have qualified for any benefit.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Hadley had repeatedly denied owning a property here or abroad,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21so DWP fraud investigator
0:39:21 > 0:39:26Carol Davies brought him in to be interviewed in July 2013.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Mr Hadley came in and he appeared as though he didn't understand
0:39:32 > 0:39:33what was going on.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37He said he was quite happy he hadn't done anything wrong
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and he couldn't understand why he was being interviewed,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43he'd got no money and he'd told us everything.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46However, when confronted with the evidence
0:39:46 > 0:39:48that we'd received from the abroad fraud team,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Mr Hadley was taken aback
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and he asked for the interview to be suspended
0:39:53 > 0:39:57so he could consult his solicitor before being interviewed again.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03So, two weeks later, enough time to top up his tan,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Hadley returned with a solicitor who read out a prepared statement.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12In the statement, he said that he had agreed that he had failed
0:40:12 > 0:40:15to inform the council of a change in his circumstances
0:40:15 > 0:40:17regarding the property.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20This was in fact untrue, because Mr Hadley had actually owned
0:40:20 > 0:40:22the property at the time he first made his claim.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25He also declined to answer any further questions,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28replied "no comment" to any further questions put to him.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34Hadley was charged with three counts of benefit fraud and bailed.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39The team had calculated that he had stolen over £25,000 in benefits.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Mr Hadley appeared in Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court
0:40:43 > 0:40:48in October 2013 where he actually pleaded not guilty.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Due to the amount of the overpayment, the magistrates
0:40:52 > 0:40:55decided to send the case to Swansea Crown Court
0:40:55 > 0:40:57to be heard there.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00He then changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08So owning a villa and claiming benefit for two and a half years,
0:41:08 > 0:41:10what kind of sentence does that get you?
0:41:10 > 0:41:12At the court, the judge awarded him
0:41:12 > 0:41:16a prison sentence of nine months that was suspended for 18 months,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20and he was also ordered to pay £1,200 towards
0:41:20 > 0:41:22the cost of the prosecution, as well.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26Unusually, in this case, the judge actually made an order
0:41:26 > 0:41:31at the same time as he handed out the suspended prison sentence
0:41:31 > 0:41:35that Mr Hadley was ordered to pay back the full sum,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38around £26,000, on the basis that
0:41:38 > 0:41:41he had £81,000 available in his property.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45So Mr Hadley was actually given six months from the date of his
0:41:45 > 0:41:52conviction to realise the capital from his property and to repay us.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57He didn't meet that deadline and he has made an application that
0:41:57 > 0:42:02because of the property market crash in Spain and the Euro problems,
0:42:02 > 0:42:06that he needs further time to pay or to sell his property.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11He's been given until December this year to do that.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16So somewhere in Spain, or somewhere in Marbella,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19there could be a villa going at quite a knockdown price,
0:42:19 > 0:42:20that's what we're saying?
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Quite possibly, yes, I'm sure he'd appreciate if someone bought it,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and we certainly would, so he could pay us back.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28And that's money that goes back into the public purse,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- where it should have been in the first place?- Yes, yes.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Thank you, Jackie.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Thanks to DWP's specialist foreign team, Hadley can say adios
0:42:37 > 0:42:42to his plans of swanning off into the sunset with our stolen cash.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44The abroad fraud team had given us some good information
0:42:44 > 0:42:49and it felt good to actually stop a claim that was so blatantly false
0:42:49 > 0:42:53from the outset and detracting from people who really need the benefit.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55We thought it was a good result all round.