A man formerly from Camborne has been handed a sixteen week curfew for housing benefit fraud totalling £8,806.

Luke Stevens, 37, formerly of Pendarves Street, Tuckingmill, now of Sittingbourne, Kent, pleaded guilty via video link from Maidstone Magistrates Court to Truro Magistrates Court on Friday, March 22, to one count of benefit fraud after failing to promptly report to Cornwall Council that he and his family had vacated the Pendarves Street address.

After hearing the facts of the case and on hearing a verbal report from the Probation Service, the court sentenced Mr Stevens to a community order of a sixteen week curfew for five days a week, (Thursday to Monday 5pm – 7am).

Mr Stevens was also ordered to pay £300 towards the investigation and legal costs.

The overpaid benefits are being recovered from Mr Stevens by Cornwall Council separately from the court action.