A BENEFIT fraudster who falsely claimed £45,000 in handouts has been spared prison because she will pay the money back, by 2020.

Debra Cook was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after earlier admitting making a false statement for benefit purposes and obtaining property by deception.

The deceptions, dating from between January 2004 and September 2009, involved Cook not declaring she was living “in a common household” with then-partner Sheila Jones. The 50-year-old was also in breach of a suspended prison sentence handed out in May 2009 after she swindled Miss Jones’ mother out of her life savings.

On that occasion Cook, of Mill Street, West Oxford, took £4,356 from “blind and disabled” Catherine Jones after the 80-year-old trusted her with her debit card to run errands for her.

Prosecutor Gary Willmott said yesterday she spent the money on “gambling and enjoying herself”.

Her benefit scam netted £45,040.26p from the Department of Work and Pensions and Oxford City Council in relation to housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support.

Clare Evans, defending, said Cook had so far paid back £6,348 and would continue to pay back the money at a rate of £400 a month.

Recorder Harold Persaud said he was “prepared to take a chance” on Cook and gave her a 12-month prison term, suspended for two years. She is also under a four-month curfew from 9pm and 5am.