A MOTHER-of-three who conned social services out of £16,000 has been jailed for four months.

Paula Russell legitimately claimed benefits at first but failed to tell the authorities when her children were taken into care, Worcester Crown Court heard.

She carried on claiming between March, 2000, and October, 2002, after coming under the influence of a former partner, said Brett Stevenson, prosecuting.

Russell, aged 33, formerly of Orlin Road, Colwall, near Malvern, pleaded guilty to four counts of making false declarations and asked for 127 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Recorder Robert Juckes QC said it was a persistent crime that normally merited a longer sentence.

But he was struck by the fact that she had already served a month in jail on remand and now had support from a new partner.

The total sum in income support and child benefit obtained dishonestly by Russell was £16,517.

Influence

The care proceedings had caused her much distress, said Andrea Orchard, defending.

At the time, she was living with a man who encouraged her not to tell social services that her situation had changed.

Miss Orchard said she also came under the influence of a family in the area who took large amounts of the benefits money from her.

She was an unsophisticated fraudster and had been entitled to job-seekers' allowance amounting to £7,200 over the period of the offence.

Her new partner had a business and they were living in Gwent, South Wales, to get away from earlier bad influences.

Russell had been arrested on a warrant after failing to attend court in August because she was scared to travel back to Worcestershire. While in custody she had been bullied.