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Benefit cheat's assets confiscated
A convicted benefit cheat who defrauded taxpayers across London has been ordered to hand over £77,000 or face more jail time.
David Bowry, from Tooting, was caught by Wandsworth Council fraud investigators in 2006 after they discovered he made fraudulent benefit claims to four different councils.
He organised a series of scams from an office in the attic of his £275,000 home in Cowick Road that netted him tens of thousands of pounds in unlawful housing benefit claims made to Wandsworth, Sutton, Croydon and Newham councils.
Bowry, who was studying for a law degree at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to 17 offences of dishonesty when he appeared at Croydon Crown Court in June 2007. He was jailed for 16 months.
But now in a separate legal case brought by financial investigators at the Department for Work and Pensions, Bowry has been ordered to hand back £76,690 to taxpayers by the beginning of July this year, including just over £17,000 to Wandsworth Council.
If he does not pay he has been told to expect another 18 months in custody.
The case against Bowry was brought under The Proceeds of Crime Act, which aims to stop criminals profiting from their crimes.
Coun Martin D Johnson, Wandsworth's executive member for housing, said: "Mr Bowry now has a stark choice. Either he pays up his ill-gotten gains or else he spends another 18 months behind bars."
Anyone with information about benefit fraud should call the council's benefit investigation service on 020 8871 7067 or the Fraud Hotline free on 0800 328 6340.
8:02pm Monday 18th February 2008
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CommentPosted by: Bob Peel, Croydon on 7:20am Tue 19 Feb 08
"The case against Bowry was brought under The Proceeds of Crime Act, which aims to stop criminals profiting from their crimes."
The answer to Bowry's non-payment of the £76,690 is simple.
Seize his property and bang him up anyway.
"The case against Bowry was brought under The Proceeds of Crime Act, which aims to stop criminals profiting from their crimes."
The answer to Bowry's non-payment of the £76,690 is simple.
Seize his property and bang him up anyway.
Posted by: David, Croydon on 11:05am Tue 19 Feb 08
So, £75k is worth 18 months, effectively a job paying £50k per year (AFTER TAX). Not bad if you can get it. Add in the cost of keeping this man in jail and we are talking about enough money to keep a large number of pensioners warm through a cold winter....
Is that really an additional 18 months behind bars, or 9 months as I suspect?
So, £75k is worth 18 months, effectively a job paying £50k per year (AFTER TAX). Not bad if you can get it. Add in the cost of keeping this man in jail and we are talking about enough money to keep a large number of pensioners warm through a cold winter....
Is that really an additional 18 months behind bars, or 9 months as I suspect?
Posted by: Dave, Surrey on 11:13am Tue 19 Feb 08
I'd happily spend 9 months in jail for £75000! Thats paying me £8333 per month! Lovely!
No wonder its easier to commit fraud than to work for a living & people do it so regularly!!
I'd happily spend 9 months in jail for £75000! Thats paying me £8333 per month! Lovely!
No wonder its easier to commit fraud than to work for a living & people do it so regularly!!
Posted by: jonnnie of brixton, brixton on 1:39pm Tue 19 Feb 08
good luck to him,lets be honest,the city and all the financial institutions scam more in a hour than anyone on multiple benefits could dream about[bold]bold[/bold] ,until i see and hear about major players,oops i mean 'hard working multi millionaires,who are so straight',doing any bird,i will say...you got to survive in the real world by any way you can...its a great risk to benefit<no pun> way of life...
good luck to him,lets be honest,the city and all the financial institutions scam more in a hour than anyone on multiple benefits could dream about ,until i see and hear about major players,oops i mean 'hard working multi millionaires,who are so straight',doing any bird,i will say...you got to survive in the real world by any way you can...its a great risk to benefit<no pun> way of life...
Posted by: Ex D Cat, Ex-Elmley Kent on 2:04pm Tue 19 Feb 08
Prison for this sort of offense is a doddle.
you can smoke pot in your cell while watching tv without a license and no other bills to pay ,play computer games, darts and pool.
you get fed 3 times a day,go on day trips, go to the gym or play golf, footbal etc folowed by a swim.
Do a little studying and you can come and go as you like as long as your there for the twice daily role call.
Th POs turn a blind eye to drug use because it makes their life easier if the prisoners are happy but they don't like you trying to get your own supply smuggled in you have to use their system.
You also get help from proabtion services with being housed and claiming benefits etc when you come out.
Prison for this sort of offense is a doddle.
you can smoke pot in your cell while watching tv without a license and no other bills to pay ,play computer games, darts and pool.
you get fed 3 times a day,go on day trips, go to the gym or play golf, footbal etc folowed by a swim.
Do a little studying and you can come and go as you like as long as your there for the twice daily role call.
Th POs turn a blind eye to drug use because it makes their life easier if the prisoners are happy but they don't like you trying to get your own supply smuggled in you have to use their system.
You also get help from proabtion services with being housed and claiming benefits etc when you come out.
Posted by: ANNE GILES, SELSDON on 6:40pm Tue 19 Feb 08
That must have been an unusual prison. I taught prisoners at Pentonville and it was a very depressing place. Losing one's liberty is not very nice. The food looked pretty dreadful as well. Women in prison are often quite mentally disturbed and I have heard some real horror stories. Also - as part of a project - I visited several prisons and they were not very pleasant at all.
That must have been an unusual prison. I taught prisoners at Pentonville and it was a very depressing place. Losing one's liberty is not very nice. The food looked pretty dreadful as well. Women in prison are often quite mentally disturbed and I have heard some real horror stories. Also - as part of a project - I visited several prisons and they were not very pleasant at all.
Posted by: fat steve, putney on 10:01pm Tue 19 Feb 08
u no prison easy free food bed &sex
u no prison easy free food bed &sex
Posted by: anne giles, SELSDON on 11:37am Wed 20 Feb 08
Ah, I'm glad we've cleared that one up. So if prison is easy - then perhaps you could ask your parents to keep you locked up in one room for several hours a day, and all night, and only let you out for a supervised walk around your garden. Then tell them to give you overcooked porridge for breakfast accompanied by a huge mug of extremely weak tea. Tell them also to stand over you while you scrub the floor of your room as well. Enjoy!!
Ah, I'm glad we've cleared that one up. So if prison is easy - then perhaps you could ask your parents to keep you locked up in one room for several hours a day, and all night, and only let you out for a supervised walk around your garden. Then tell them to give you overcooked porridge for breakfast accompanied by a huge mug of extremely weak tea. Tell them also to stand over you while you scrub the floor of your room as well. Enjoy!!
Posted by: D, Purley on 12:43pm Wed 20 Feb 08
I'm sure that to some people that would sound like heaven compared to what they currently get. People working maybe two jobs (or even just one), stuck in a room for 10 hours a day of non-stop stress. Then get home after an hour in a cattle pen (otherwise known as the train or tube) and have to scramble together dinner despite being knackered. Then hopefully get to sleep at a decent time so that you can be "fresh" to do it all again tomorrow.
I'm sure that to some people that would sound like heaven compared to what they currently get. People working maybe two jobs (or even just one), stuck in a room for 10 hours a day of non-stop stress. Then get home after an hour in a cattle pen (otherwise known as the train or tube) and have to scramble together dinner despite being knackered. Then hopefully get to sleep at a decent time so that you can be "fresh" to do it all again tomorrow.
Posted by: Jock, London on 1:29pm Wed 20 Feb 08
[quote][bold]jonnnie of brixton[/bold] wrote:
good luck to him,lets be honest,the city and all the financial institutions scam more in a hour than anyone on multiple benefits could dream about[bold]bold[/bold] ,until i see and hear about major players,oops i mean 'hard working multi millionaires,who are so straight',doing any bird,i will say...you got to survive in the real world by any way you can...its a great risk to benefit<no pun> way of life...[/quote] Exactly how do these institutions scam???
I worked in one of them, and the people who make the money - the ones you're so jealous of - can sometimes put in 23 hours a day, some even go for a couple of days. They are reaping the rewards of their hard work. Something which I suspect is alien to you jonnnie. And that's why you're so quick to condone the actions of a thief.
jonnnie of brixton wrote:
good luck to him,lets be honest,the city and all the financial institutions scam more in a hour than anyone on multiple benefits could dream about ,until i see and hear about major players,oops i mean 'hard working multi millionaires,who are so straight',doing any bird,i will say...you got to survive in the real world by any way you can...its a great risk to benefit<no pun> way of life...
Exactly how do these institutions scam???
I worked in one of them, and the people who make the money - the ones you're so jealous of - can sometimes put in 23 hours a day, some even go for a couple of days. They are reaping the rewards of their hard work. Something which I suspect is alien to you jonnnie. And that's why you're so quick to condone the actions of a thief.
Posted by: Stripey, Croydon on 2:51pm Wed 20 Feb 08
[quote][bold]anne giles[/bold] wrote:
Ah, I'm glad we've cleared that one up. So if prison is easy - then perhaps you could ask your parents to keep you locked up in one room for several hours a day, and all night, and only let you out for a supervised walk around your garden. Then tell them to give you overcooked porridge for breakfast accompanied by a huge mug of extremely weak tea. Tell them also to stand over you while you scrub the floor of your room as well. Enjoy!![/quote] Oh come on, I know someone who is prison and he has said he loves it in there and is having the best time of his life.
Even Ian Huntley has a games console. As for the food they have a choice from menus, similar to what you get in hospitals.
Prisons are easy these days thatnks to all the stupid do gooders out there.
anne giles wrote:
Ah, I'm glad we've cleared that one up. So if prison is easy - then perhaps you could ask your parents to keep you locked up in one room for several hours a day, and all night, and only let you out for a supervised walk around your garden. Then tell them to give you overcooked porridge for breakfast accompanied by a huge mug of extremely weak tea. Tell them also to stand over you while you scrub the floor of your room as well. Enjoy!!
Oh come on, I know someone who is prison and he has said he loves it in there and is having the best time of his life.
Even Ian Huntley has a games console. As for the food they have a choice from menus, similar to what you get in hospitals.
Prisons are easy these days thatnks to all the stupid do gooders out there.
Posted by: Les, Surrey on 8:46pm Wed 20 Feb 08
Benefit fraud must be stopped, the offenders prosecuted and their assets seized. Shame we cannot do the same with the government thieves and parasites that financially violate the hardworking taxpayer.
Benefit fraud must be stopped, the offenders prosecuted and their assets seized. Shame we cannot do the same with the government thieves and parasites that financially violate the hardworking taxpayer.
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