A Queenstown couple have been sentenced to community detention and community work for committing benefit fraud for four years while living in Rotorua.
Paul Jason Hartley and Natasha Ngatokorua Houghton, who claimed benefits despite being in a relationship, were sentenced by Judge Maree MacKenzie in the Rotorua District Court recently.
In her decision, released to the Otago Daily Times last month, Judge MacKenzie sentenced the couple on 10 charges: nine of dishonestly using a document and one of obtaining by deception.
Between August 2012 and September 2016, they signed documents claiming benefits, totalling $51,498.53, they were not entitled to as a couple.
Judge MacKenzie applied a small credit for their efforts to rehabilitate themselves since the offending had come to light.
They had removed themselves from ''difficult circumstances'' in Rotorua, by moving to Queenstown in 2017 and establishing food truck and firewood businesses.
Their guilty pleas were also taken into account.
For Hartley, she reached an end sentence of 10 and a-half months' jail, which was converted to six months' community detention. He must also perform 100 hours' community work.
Houghton was sentenced to 180 hours' community work.
Each must pay $13,000 in reparation, at $50 a week.
