A greedy mum who was jailed for fraudulently claiming more than £50,000 in benefits has been formally ordered to pay back the cash.
Sandra Innes was locked up for 16 months after she was caught taking thousands of pounds from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and Aberdeen City Council.
In July, a hearing was held to allow the Crown to determine how to recover some of the cash – although her solicitor David Sutherland claimed she had “nothing left” for the state to recover.
But yesterday, the court heard £45,000 has since been paid back.
Sheriff Graeme Napier acknowledged the progress of the case, but to keep matters in check, made a formal order for her to pay the money back within a week.
At the time of Innes’ fraud, she was secretly sitting on an inheritance pot of more than £250,000.
Over five years she splurged the cash on a new house and lavish lifestyle – while claiming benefits to which she was not entitled.
In total, she swindled taxpayers out of £50,315.01 before she was caught.
She was jailed for her crimes in June, when Sheriff William Summers ruled she had been motivated by greed.
After her crimes were discovered, the mum signed over her £110,000 home to her son when her crimes were discovered.
Between October 8, 2008, and January 16, 2013, she fraudulently claimed £21,633.15 in income support.
She also failed to notify officials at Aberdeen City Council about the capital she had in her bank account and claimed housing and council tax benefits of £25,822.26.
Innes claimed a further £2,859.60 of employment support allowance fraudulently between January 17 and October 23, 2013.