A MOTHER-OF-FOUR sobbed as she was spared jail for fraudulently claiming more than £60,000 in benefits.

Dawn Bryan failed to notify the authorities that she was living with the father of one of her children, who was working.

Over a six year period between 2006 and 2012 she fraudulently claimed £61,182 in income support, council tax benefit, housing benefit and jobseekers’ allowance.

The 41-year-old care worker, of Mandale Road, Acklam, Middlesbrough, admitted six counts of making a false statement to the Department of Work and Pensions and two offences of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances.

Bryan blamed her offending on her controlling partner, who she said had coerced her into it, and claimed her only real income was child benefit she collected from the post office.

Rebecca Dyson, mitigating, said she did not lead a lavish lifestyle and did not seek to excuse her behaviour.

Ms Dyson said Bryan’s partner exerted emotional, physical and financial control over her and was partly to blame for her offending.

The barrister pointed out her lack of previous convictions and said she should be credited for her early guilty pleas.

Recorder Graham Cook, sitting at Teesside Crown Court, said Bryan had falsely claimed an “exceedingly large” amount.

He said: “By doing that you create problems for other law abiding genuine claimants.”

Bryan, who began sobbing as Recorder Cook delivered his sentencing remarks, was said to be full of remorse.

She provided references to the court which the judge said were the best he had ever seen in respect of someone’s character.

Bryan, who had begun paying the money back, was given a 16 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and told she would be supervised by the probation service for the next 18 months. She hugged a relative as she left the dock.