Overview

• Joella Preston, 44, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to fraud by abuse of position after diverting £493,487 through 15 false Housing Benefit claims between 2014 and 2023.
• She received a two-year prison term suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirements.
• Prosecutors said she used insider knowledge to suppress notices, route manual payments below check thresholds, and pay funds into accounts held by her and her unwitting husband.
• Court evidence showed she spent the stolen money on online slot games, staking about £776,938 and recovering £355,709 in winnings.
• Dartford and Sevenoaks councils say routine audit checks uncovered the DWP-funded fraud, they have tightened procedures, and confiscation proceedings are expected to follow.