A COUPLE claimed £75,000 in benefit and borrowed tens of thousands of pounds on fraudulently obtained credit cards even though they had Jersey bank accounts, a court has heard.

Paul Cruttenden, 38, and his partner, Julie, 48, who changed her surname to his, of Durham Road, Coatham Mundeville, Darlington, were jailed yesterday for two years at Newcastle Crown Court.

The couple admitted conspiracy to obtain benefit payments, obtaining services by deception and obtaining a money transfer by deception.

Mr Cruttenden also admitted attempted money laundering.

Steven Orange, prosecuting, said the offences involved claims for income support, council tax benefit and mortgage interest payments between 1999 and 2007.

At the start, Ms Cruttenden had an undeclared £80,000 in her Jersey account. Her partner started claiming in 2004.

His bank account rose from £20,000 in 1997 to £55,000 in 2006.

Over eight years, Ms Cruttenden applied for loans and credit cards using false names and addresses and Mr Cruttenden made applications in which he lied about his income and work status.

He also obtained a £90,000 mortgage to buy a house in Aycliffe Village by giving false details and later sold it, making a profit of about £200,000, Mr Orange said.

The pair obtained a total of £409,000 in credit and in 2006 took holidays in Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey. The following year they flew to Brazil.

Mr Orange said that by the time of their arrest they were paying £5,000 a month to credit providers.

“It was a spiral that could only be met by seeking to obtain further loans,” he added.

The money laundering charge related to the sale of the house, but the money was restrained before Mr Cruttenden could extract it.

Caroline Goodwin, for Ms Cruttenden, said the Jersey money was legitimately earned from a property business and could be used to repay the Department of Work and Pensions.

“She has brought this upon herself but, coupled with ill health, it isn’t a very bright prospect for her.”

Alex Burns, for Mr Cruttenden, said his client had an exemplary military record and had genuinely been ill. Neither had previous convictions.

Judge John Evans told the pair: “If everyone was to engage in the sort of behaviour you have engaged in the financial situation of the country would be considerably worse than it already is.’’ The judge made no compensation order after hearing action would be taken to recover any outstanding money.