A “cunning” mum-of-three has avoided going straight to prison after ripping off taxpayers for the second time in seven years.

Part-time accounts worker Gemma Goodwin wept as a court heard how she lied after claiming she had the autoimmune disease lupus and terminal cancer.

The 36-year-old from Dartford pocketed nearly £19,000 in two and a half years in PIP payments - even producing fake letters to support her bogus claims.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that the scam was “sophisticated” in that she produced the false letters.

Prosecutor Edmund Gross said that it was only when investigators checked and discovered she was not registered at the hospital.

It is the second time in seven years she has been convicted of fraud – the last time for £40,000 in housing benefits.

"You richly deserve to go to prison immediately..." - Judge Philip Statman

Now, Judge Philip Statman told her that latest scam revealed a “degree of cunning” and were “wholly fraudulent from the start”.

But if she were sent straight to prison it would have “deprived her three children of their mother and would have wrecked their lives”.

He took the unusual step of taking her out of the dock to stand in the witness box to deliver his judgement.

When he mentioned it would be a prison sentence she slumped into the seat and began crying.

But Judge Statman told her she would "richly deserve to go to prison immediately” but “as an act of mercy” he would suspend the 16 months for two years.

Defence barrister Peter Alcock said she has agreed to pay back her debt at £12.50 a month.

Goodwin, of Brent Way, Dartford admitted defrauding the DWP between November 19, 2015, and July last year of £18,923.

The court heard that she received £14,000 working in the accounts department of a tyre company along with Child Tax Credits and money from an ex-partner.

Mr Alcock said the money did not “go on a luxury lifestyle” and asked the judge to let her off with “a severe final warning.”

A report said that Goodwin was "an attention seeker" and hit on the idea of the fraud after talking with a colleague.

The court heard how a few weeks ago she had tried to commit suicide by throwing herself off a bridge

Goodwin, who had admitted six charges of fraud, was also ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work for the community and had to remain inside her home between 8pm and 6 am for the next nine months.

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