An Onchan benefit fraudster who was caught out by Facebook posts has been fined £750 by magistrates.

Maxine Ball failed to declare income she was receiving from a partner and was overpaid £7,570 as a result, but has already paid the money back to the treasury.

Prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge told magistrates on Thursday, February 13, that the defendant had been receiving income support benefit from March 2021 to November 2024, based on her being a single person.

In September 2024, checks on Facebook showed that the 31-year-old had had a baby and also indicated she was in a relationship with a male.

The Social Security gained access to her bank account which showed regular payments being received from the man.

Ball’s address was put under surveillance between October 2 and 30, and inspectors saw the male leaving the property each morning.

She was interviewed at Markwell House in Douglas on November 20 and admitted that she had given birth, and said that the father had been staying over a few nights a week.

Ball said that he randomly gave her money and bought things for the baby.

Records showed that the man had transferred £4,461 to the defendant between May 2023 and August 2024.

Ball said that he would sometimes transfer money to use himself, because his Revolut account would lock.

After a break in the interview, she then apologised and said she had been lying, and that the male had been living at her address.

In court, she pleaded guilty to one count of benefit fraud by failing to inform a change of circumstances.

The court heard that Ball has no previous convictions.

A probation report said that the defendant had said that the man had not initially been living at her address full time, but that had then changed.

The report said that medical issues may prevent Ball from being able to do community service, and her lack of previous convictions meant that probation was not necessary, so a fine was the most appropriate sentence.

Ball agreed to pay any fine by the end of February.

Magistrates also ordered Ball, who lives at Ballachrink Drive, to pay £50 prosecution costs.