A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits fraud was uncovered after the wife of a Star Wars stuntman posted photos of their lavish lifestyle on social media. Gerry Sherard, 65, who appeared in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi, fraudulently claimed £30,000 in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction from 2016 to 2020.
Sherard made at least five claims stating he had no savings and did not own any property. However, the Surrey man actually owned a holiday home in Burgundy, central France, and a property in Dubai. His scam was exposed following a tip-off, after social media photos showed him enjoying the Ritz, Royal Ascot, a private jet, and drinking in a jacuzzi.
Court Proceedings
Edward Elton, prosecuting, told Guildford Crown Court: "From the outset he failed to declare he had owned properties. He attended appointments and completed housing advice forms, but made the same denials." Judge Robert Fraser described the offending as "abhorrent," adding: "You clearly lied on those forms for claims you were clearly not entitled to. If people like you abuse the system dishonestly, those funds are not available to those who really need it."
Spared Jail
Despite the severity of the fraud, Sherard was spared jail. He brazenly remarked afterwards: "I didn't realise what I was doing at the time. My wife had been taken by ransom in Dubai and I was struggling." The DWP's new Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill aims to safeguard public money by reducing public sector fraud, error, and debt, including powers to better identify and prevent fraud and recover overpaid funds.
