A Fife psychic who fraudulently claimed £8,000 in housing benefit has been ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.
Kathleen Coutts, 48, of Mars Gardens, Wormit, admitted that between February 6 2011 and October 6 2012 she knowingly failed to notify the Department of Work and Pensions that she was in receipt of earnings from part-time work.
Cupar Sheriff Court heard that Coutts, a well-known psychic who used to work for a national newspaper, initially attempted to obtain housing benefit in August 2010 but her application was unsuccessful.
Fiscal Depute Joanne Smith said: “She applied again in October 2010 and, following several communications with Fife Council, was awarded housing benefit which was backdated to May 24 2010.
WShe thereafter continued to receive it until December 2012.”
Ms Smith said information came to light in July 2012 that Coutts had a bank account which had received various bank credits for the period libelled, totalling £16,000.
It later emerged the funds were from “online customers” of Coutts, who offered services such as psychic readings and hypnotherapy through her website but, when questioned, Coutts claimed the work was actually carried out by her daughter.
She said she had simply “used her face” to attract business for her daughter.
She further claimed the money initially went into her bank account but was later transferred into her daughter’s account.
Ms Smith said, however this did not correspond with intelligence reports, which showed no funds had been transferred.
Defence solicitor Douglas Williamson said: “My client had a high-profile position with a national newspaper and after her position was terminated her life became chaotic. She suffered a bereavement and had significant difficulties coping.
“She accepts she should have declared she had earned this money and perhaps she would have been entitled to some or part of this benefit had she properly stated her earnings.”
He added Coutts was making efforts to pay back the funds that she had claimed.
Sheriff Charles Macnair said: “This was a significant sum of money that was obtained over a period of 18 months. I do not accept this was simply a misunderstanding.”
Picture by David Wardle