A cat breeding benefit fraudster has been handed a suspended sentence after being overpaid £11,269 she wasn’t entitled to.

Melissa Amy Curtis admitted three counts of making a false representation to obtain a benefit and one count of failing to inform a change of circumstances.

Magistrates sentenced the 33-year-old from Ronague to six months’ custody, suspended for two years.

Prosecuting advocate Kate Alexander told the court that Curtis was claiming Employed Persons Allowance from July 2022.

However, information was received that her partner had been living with her and she had been running a cat breeding business, neither of which had been declared.

Her address was put under surveillance for four weeks and her partner was seen leaving in the mornings.

Checks showed that his car was also registered at her address.

Statements were also gathered from nine people who had been provided with cats, with the payments made into her partner’s account.

Curtis was interviewed by the Department of Health and Social Care, but said that there had not been any changes in her circumstances.

She said that her boyfriend lived in Douglas, but used to live on the farm, where she lived, but in a separate bungalow.

When asked about his car, Curtis said that it was registered to the farm.

She was asked about him coming out of her address every morning, but then asked for the interview to be suspended.

After resuming, she said that there may have been a period when he stayed, but that he hadn’t been living there.

Regarding the cat breeding business, she said her partner was responsible for it and that she wasn’t taking any money from it.

Records showed that the sale of cats had brought in £18,000, but Curtis claimed that she hadn’t received any of it.

The court heard that she has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate Helen Lobb said that her client was the single parent of four children and had health difficulties.

Ms Lobb said that, although the cat breeding business had been paid £18,000, that had not been profits as there were significant outgoings, such as food, vaccinations, and vet bills.

The advocate said that Curtis had done a lot of work developing pedigree cats and it was a passion project that she was looking to progress.

Ms Lobb asked the court to follow the recommendation of a probation report, for a suspended sentence.

Magistrates also ordered the defendant to pay £50 prosecution costs.