A PAINTER and decorator who fraudulently claimed nearly £20,000 in benefits by telling the authorities he was single said he feared his partner would leave him if his benefits stopped.
Edward Verrier, aged 50, put in claims for Job Seekers' Allowance (JSA), housing and council tax benefits in July 2008 and continued claiming them despite living with Judith Gardner as husband and wife, Truro Crown Court heard.
Nigel Hall, for the prosecution, said that between 2008 and 2013, Verrier was...
