Former Shrewsbury pub landlord swindled £19,000 in benefits

Alan Briscoe, 57, an ex-RAF warfare systems expert, dishonestly claimed £12,700 in housing benefit, £2,794 in income support, £1,800 in employment and support allowance and £1,500 in job seekers allowance.

Briscoe, who lost a leg to sepsis, used walking sticks on his way to the dock and wore RAF badges and medals.

Prosecutor Jenny Windzor told Telford Magistrates Court: “An investigation was conducted and the conclusion was made that the total he fraudulently claimed was £19,068.93.

“The defendant was interviewed and charged in November last year.”

She said that he told police officers he had two bank accounts, but he was asked a number of questions which he declined to answer.

Briscoe, of Armdale, in Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, admitted four counts of fraud.

Paul Hyatt, defending Briscoe, said: “He said that a lot of the money in his account was tied up. He has brought receipts to court to show he has paid back the money.

“He has a son and a daughter. His health is not great. He lost his left leg below the knee due to sepsis. He was in the RAF for seven years. His specialist area was electronic warfare systems.

“He used to be a landlord of two pubs in Shrewsbury. He has a second interview to become a publican in Church Stretton. He has been a hard working man.”

Magistrates deemed Briscoe’s offending to be too serious for their sentencing powers to be sufficient.

He will be sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on December 13.