Millionaire taxi driver jailed for £51,000 benefit fraud
A former taxi driver who said he was penniless and claimed £51,000 in benefits has been jailed after it emerged he had £1.2m in savings.
Richard Albert Cocks, 65, from Jersey, who lived in a government-funded flat, pleaded not guilty to fraud offences and declared he had no money in any bank accounts.
Cocks's defending lawyer said in mitigation that he had saved every penny he had.
He was jailed for four years.
Prosecuting, Richard Pedley said Cocks arranged to get his income payments in cash to hide his bank accounts.
He said Cocks was very unapologetic when confronted with evidence of his fraud, and felt betrayed by the banks for disclosing the information.
James Bell, defending, said Cocks had worked hard all his life, saved hard, and lived a modest life. He had never bought property, married, had children or gone on holiday.
He was ordered to pay back £51,000 to the social security department, and the Crown's legal costs.