A man who pocketed £26,000 in disability benefits while winning golf tournaments and playing off a handicap of six has been jailed for six months.
Alan Bannister, 56, exaggerated the severity of his arthritis for eight years and was given a top rate payment usually reserved for people who cannot walk.
The former mechanical engineer insisted he could not hold a saucepan or peel potatoes, struggled to dress himself and took 15 minutes to walk as little as 50 metres.
He made the claims in a successful application for increased benefits after he quit his job on health grounds and saw his income halved.
Bannister received the top rate benefits for nine years and was also handed a mobility car which he used to drive to golf tournaments, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Secret footage emerged of Bannister lifting a bag of clubs with one hand before launching a 240-yard drive from the first first tee, approaching the 18th hole four hours later.
Jailing Bannister, Recorder David Miller described his actions as a “blatant“ fraud which had lasted for eight years and totalled £26,090.55.
“I imagine someone with high mobility needs rightly claiming Disability Living Allowance watching that footage of you playing golf, hearing about your golfing prowess, your championships and wondering how on earth you were getting what they were getting,” the judge said.
Last month, a jury at Cardiff Crown Court took less than two and a half hours to convict Bannister of a single charge of obtaining money transfers by deception.
The jury heard Bannister was initially given a lower rate of disability living allowance in 2002, having been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.
In 2004, Bannister applied for the highest rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and began receiving the payments.
“You applied to upgrade your claim by stating that, on a daily basis, you could only walk for 20 metres before feeling severe discomfort and that it would take your ten minutes,” the judge said.
The judge said the increased amount was also on the basis Bannister “couldn’t carry saucepans, grip tin openers or prepare a cooked meal”.
Bannister repeated his claims on a form in 2007, adding that he could not peel potatoes and did not have any improvement in his condition.
“You were unanimously convicted by a jury because during the time you were claiming DLA, you were an active member of your local golf club with a handicap of six,” the judge added.
“From 2009 to 2011, you were the junior organiser, which involved you coaching and monitoring young players.
“You won competitions almost on an annual basis. You were the men’s champion in 2006. You played regularly throughout this period.
“You were filmed effortlessly removing your golf trolley and your golf clubs from your car. You held the bag in one hand. You walked a decent pace on the golf course.
“You were entirely unassisted during this filming.”
The court previously heard Bannister joined the 18-hole St Andrews Major Golf Club in Dinas Powys in 2004 – the same year he applied for increased benefits.
He told the jury playing golf alleviated his symptoms and he had been advised to take up the sport by a doctor.
Prosecuting, Stuart McLeese said: “This man was a golf champion in 2006 and he joined the golf club previous to that.
“The information that I have is that he has no previous convictions.”
Representing Bannister, David Leathley said his client’s initial claim had been a “bona fide” one but then “overstepped the mark”.
“This is a man who is genuinely poorly,” Mr Leathley said. “He has good days and bad days. This is an honourable claim that has fallen foul.
“He overstepped the mark. What awaits him is a life of misery in the community. He has to atone for his act of exaggeration which he bitterly must regret.
“He is a broken man.”
Speaking after the case, Adrian Landeg, group manager for fraud and error investigation for the DWP, said the sentence sent a “strong message”.
“Alan Bannister claimed he couldn’t walk more than 30-50 metres without feeling extreme pain and discomfort,” Mr Landeg said.
“Clearly from our investigation and covert filming we found him playing golf, we have evidence of him winning club championships.”
Mr Landeg said a Proceeds of Crime hearing would take place to recover the money paid to Bannister.