An air hostess who cheated the council out of more than £10,000 in benefits has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Jane Bannigan, 46, was investigated by a specialist unit after she submitted claims for council tax and housing benefits following an “acrimonious” divorce.

Canterbury Magistrates’ Court heard that Bannigan was also suffering from an “aero-toxic syndrome” caused by breathing in recycled air on planes.

She had been found guilty at trial of dishonestly making a false representation to Canterbury

City Council to obtain benefits, with the offences dating back to March 2011.

Prosecutor Julie Farbrace said that by September of that year, Bannigan’s circumstances had changed as she had started receiving higher wages, which pushed her into a different earnings category.

“If this happens, there is an obligation for the recipient to declare any changes,” Ms Farbrace said.

Bannigan, who lives in Church Wood Close, from Rough Common, and had been working for Chicago-based United Airlines, then became the subject of an investigation.

It found that she had been overpaid £10,322.

Patrick Cuffe, defending, said he had advised Bannigan to plead not guilty.

“This investigation was initiated by a specialist fraud unit in Liverpool and it was their claim that she had been dishonest from the outset,” Mr Cuffe said.

“Her not guilty plea was entered on the basis that she had not been dishonest when she submitted the original application form.” Mr Cuffe said Bannigan received her wages in US dollars and that it meant her pay would fluctuate according to exchange rates.

He tried and failed to convince the Crown Prosecution Service to amend the charge to remove the dishonesty element.

The solicitor went on: “She has been suffering with this aero-toxic syndrome, which is the subject of significant potential litigation in America.

“This causes the immune system to break down. It causes depression, lethargy and confusion.”

Mr Cuffe added that the mother-of-two had been going through a “dreadful, acrimonious divorce” and was struggling to keep her job at the airline. He added that she had shown “genuine remorse” for what had happened.

Magistrates gave Bannigan, who is paying the money back to the council, a 90-day prison sentence suspended for one year.

She must also pay £900 court costs.