A PEMBROKE Dock man has been jailed today, December 15, for one of the longest running benefits fraud cases a court had ever heard of.

Andrew Johnstone, aged 66, admitted fiddling £121,874 from Pembrokeshire County Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Johnstone, of Front Street, got away with the fraud for 13 years by pretending he was living alone when in fact he was co-habiting with Marylyn Katra.

Laura Shepherd, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court that Johnstone's claims for income support, housing benefit and council tax relief had been fraudulent from the outset.

She said it began in February, 2003, and did not stop until he was found out in August, 2016.

During that period, she added, he had been required to notify both bodies of any changes in his circumstances that might affect his entitlement to benefits.

Not only did he fail to do that but in December, 2011, on reaching the age of 60, Johnstone tried to escalate the fraud by applying for pension credit by again claiming he was living alone and unable to work.

Johnstone admitted four offences of fraud.

His barrister, David Williams, said it was accepted that Johnstone's claims had been false from day one and that only a prison sentence could follow because of the amount of money involved.

And it was also accepted that he continued the frauds after receiving a suspended prison sentence for the theft of more than £32,000 from the town’s Pater Hall Community Trust.

See the Western Telegraph report on that case here

He had stolen £32,940.88 from the Trust over a three year period while acting as honorary treasurer.

Mr Williams said Johnstone's health had deteriorated because of stress since an incident when, as the manager of a public house, someone put the barrel of a shotgun into his mouth.

"He has made two serious attempts on his life," added Mr Williams.

Judge Peter Heywood said the courts always took seriously offending that involved the public purse.

"Public services in this country have been under considerable threat for the last 10 years. Those who are entitled to benefits can find difficulties in receiving them.

"The length of these frauds aggravates the situation," he added.

Johnstone was jailed for 14 months with an additional six months for breaching the suspended sentence imposed in March, 2016.