Woman got benefit by fraud

Press, 18 March 1985, Page 4

Woman got benefit by fraud

A woman who admitted fraudulently obtaining a domestic purposes benefit, totalling almost $9OOO, while managing a massage parlour, told the police she needed the money to support herself and her daughter, said Sergeant W. P. Creasey in the District Court on Friday. Beverly Christine Foster, aged 28, who committed the offence between October, 1982, and October last year, was convicted by Judge Bisphan, and remanded on bail of ?1500 to April 4 for a probation report and sentence. Foster, a first offender, admitted that over a twoyear period, she had wilfully omitted to inform the Social Welfare Department of her employment in order to continue receiving the benefit. Sergeant Creasey said that while Foster was receiving the benefit the department became aware that she had been working and so was ineligible for the continued payment. She had made several declarations to the department saying she had no income, said Sergeant

Creasey. Compensation of $8916 was sought, he said. ASSAULT CHARGE Interim suppression of the names of the defendant and the complainant involved in a domestic incident at Kaiapoi on Thursday, to which the armed offenders squad was called, was granted by the Judge. The defendant, represented by Mr P. H. B. Hall, was remanded in custody to March 22. While in custody he will undergo a psychiatric assessment. The defendant is charged with assaulting a woman at Kaiapoi. He did not plead. Bail was opposed by Sergeant Creasey. Although a domestic-type incident, it was serious in that a knife had been produced. Further inquiries were continuing and it was expected that more serious charges would be laid' against the defendant, Sergeant Creasey said. He said he also believed that the defendant had psychiatric problems. Mr Hall had sought interim suppression of his client’s name, bail, and a psychiatric examination of the defendant.