A MUSIC teacher cheated his way to £21,000 of public money, a court heard.

For 10 years, Alan Hymer, 73, claimed and got benefit money through City of York Council he was not entitled to, York Crown Court was told.

Now he faces years of paying back the taxpayer’s money he should never have received.

Hymer, of Horseman Drive, Copmanthorpe, pleaded guilty to benefit fraud by false representation.

Recorder Anthony Hawks said it was “tragic” to see a man of Hymer’s age in the dock of a crown court.

Hymer had no previous convictions.

“I suspect you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself,” the judge told Hymer.

“It needs to be said – housing benefit is for people who genuinely need it.

“You didn’t qualify for it. Yet you continued to claim over a significant period of years.”

Hymer was given a eight-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months on condition he commits no more offences.

If he does he may have to serve the sentence in prison.

The judge said Hymer claimed housing benefit on the grounds that he wasn’t working.

But from 2009 to 2019, he worked part-time as a music teacher and didn’t tell benefit officers what he was doing.

As a result, he was given £21,000 in state benefits he was not entitled to.

The judge said Hymer had initially claimed housing benefit validly. But then he began the fraud.

“I am prepared to accept you didn’t spend the money on high living or anything of that sort,” he said.

“I am fully prepared to accept that once locked into this sort of offending, it was quite difficult to have the moral fortitude to come out of it.”

Defence barrister Caroline Abraham said Hymer was repaying the £21,000 at £75 a month.

“This offence will affect his earning capacity,” she said.

She gave no other mitigation after the judge said he would not send Hymer directly to jail for this offence.