A Fife woman who set up a scam which raked in £15,000 from a renewable energy project has been ordered to do unpaid work.
Janet Keddie, 68, from Blairhall, gave false information to Ofgem, the government regulator for the electricity and natural gas markets.
She claimed homes on her farm were owned by family members and claimed grants in their name.
Keddie, who owned the properties, falsified documents so that family members could be awarded for payments they were not entitled to receive.
However, the scam backfired when one member said she wanted nothing to do with it and the police became involved.
Keddie, of Overton Steadings, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
She previously admitted that having formed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money as the owner and occupier at that address, between March 30 2015 and February 15 2017 she submitted applications containing false information to Ofgem to qualify for a grant and obtained money by fraud.
Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said the programme involved was set up to encourage the take-up of renewable energy installations.
People entitled to the grant receive payments every three months for seven years.
The depute went on: “A relative of the accused said she wanted nothing to do with the scam and thereafter she reported the matter.”
Keddie told police that her family members had nothing to do with the fraud and that it was all her responsibility.
Sheriff James MacDonald told Keddie that although she had claimed she was trying to help her family, all she had done was place them all under suspicion of the crime.
He imposed a community payback order with 200 hours of unpaid work.
