A 57-year-old Ramsey woman has been fined £1,150 for three counts of benefit fraud and six motoring offences.

Angela Ruth Teare appeared before magistrates on Thursday, February 13, entering guilty pleas to all the charges.

Magistrates also issued a 12-month driving ban, after endorsing the defendant’s licence with 15 penalty points, meaning she was banned under the totting up process.

Prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge told the court that Teare had been claiming income support and incapacity benefit.

However, information was received that she had been working at Spar in Colby, employed by Heron and Brearley.

The Department of Health and Social Care gained access to her bank account, which showed payments being received between April 5 and June 7 in 2023.

Heron and Brearley confirmed that Teare had been working as a shop assistant.

The defendant was invited to attend interviews with the DHSC at Markwell House in Douglas on three occasions, but failed to attend on any of them.

As a result of the benefit fraud she was overpaid £1,769.

On September 7, 2024, police saw Teare driving a Honda Civic on Bray Hill in Douglas.

They reported that a passenger had their head out of the rear window.

Officers stopped the defendant on Pulrose Road and found that two juveniles, who were under 14, were in the rear of the car without seat belts.

Checks also showed that Teare’s vehicle licence had expired in April 2024 and her driving licence in December 2022.

The car was seized and she was given five days to produce driving documentation, but was also unable to produce insurance.

The vehicle was also found to have a defective tyre, as the tread was worn down.

The court heard that the defendant, who lives at Lezayre Park, has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate Paul Glover asked for credit to be given for his client’s nine guilty pleas, as well as her lack of previous convictions.

Mr Glover said that it had now been a long period of time since the offences, with nothing further committed.

The advocate said that the benefit claim had not been fraudulent from the outset and had involved a relatively low amount.

He said that Teare had no source of income so had been unable to repay the benefits yet.

Mr Glover said that his client held an expired driving licence, rather than having never passed a test.

Magistrates fined Teare £250 for the three counts of benefit fraud, £500 for driving without insurance, £100 for having a defective tyre, and £150 for each of the two counts of having a child under 14 in a vehicle without a seat belt.

No separate penalty was made for the offences of having no driving licence or no vehicle licence.

She must also pay £100 prosecution costs and will pay all amounts at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.