TRAGEDY led a grieving York woman into a spiral of benefit fraud running to more than £17,000.

Linda Elizabeth Mellish gave up her job to be a full-time carer for her husband after he was involved in a serious accident – but the new relationship she formed following his death in 2002 eventually landed her in court.

The 43-year-old, of Byland Avenue, failed to tell the authorities she and her new partner were living together, and also returned to work in 2006 while continuing to claim money she was not entitled to.

Now she has vowed to pay back the cash as a judge at Leeds Crown Court ordered her to do unpaid community work as a punishment after she admitted three counts of failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions and City of York Council that she was working and failing to admit she was living with her partner.

Craig Hassall, prosecuting, said Mellish’s benefit crimes began in April 2003 when her new partner moved into her home.

“She was visited by a benefits officer in November 2005 and September 2006, and on both these occasions made no mention of the fact her partner was living with her,” he said.

“She also did not tell them that she began working again in November 2006 and continued working until the matter was discovered. The overpayments ended in November 2007.”

The court was told the fraud proceedings had had a “significant impact” on Mellish, who was now working full-time, had remarried and was making “substantial repayments” on the £17,355.03 she was overpaid.

Sentencing her to 180 hours unpaid community work, Judge James Spencer QC said: “You were dishonest for a long period and made claims you knew were false. You have an unfortunate history and no doubt the rather unsatisfactory relationship you entered into is in some way responsible for the position you are in now.”