A property manager guilty of benefit fraud will spend eight weeks in jail.

Victoria Coker was sentenced when she appeared at Richmond Magistrates’ Court, having pleaded guilty to 13 benefit fraud offences, on Thursday, September 8.

The former Surbiton and Croydon resident was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay costs of £3,406.

In a joint investigation by Kingston and Croydon councils, Coker was found to be deliberately claiming housing and council tax benefit from both councils at the same time.

The court heard Coker provided false payslips to both councils to support her lies that she was on a lower income giving her entitlement to benefits, which totalled more than £10,000.

Coker was not living in the Croydon Council property involved, which has since been recovered and she has had to give up the privately rented Surbiton property involved.

The court also noted that as a result of the conviction Coker would most likely lose her employment as a property manager with a lettings agent.

The chair of the bench said he thought the sentencing was reasonable given the amount of time council officers spent on the case unravelling the “mess” Coker had created.