The ex-partner of “Queen of Benefits” Cheryl Prudham has been jailed for stealing cash from meters at car parks while working as a money collector.

Mother-of-12 Cheryl was also due to be sentenced for handling £2,241 stolen but a TV link to Warrington Crown Court in Cheshire, where she now lives, could not be established.

She paid an instalment for a 14-day holiday to Menorca in Spain for her then partner Robert Prudham and nine of her children with some of stolen money the day after he resigned from his job.

The holiday, for which she paid £7,671, was to the exclusive resort of Victoria Playa in Santo Tomas, flying from Gatwick Airport on May 16 2014.

Robert Prudham, of Milton Street, Maidstone, admitted theft of £4,787 from Meteor Parking Ltd between January 4 and February 12 2014 and fraud.

Jailing him for 14 months, Judge Adele Williams said he breached a significant high degree of trust placed in him by his employers.

He had also committed further offences since and breach non-custodial orders imposed on him.

Maidstone Crown Court heard tattooed Prudham, 33, committed fraud in obtaining the job as a money collector by making a false declaration to Red Eagle Recruitment Specialist that he was of good character and had no criminal convictions.

He does, in fact, have 18 previous court appearances for 29 offences.

Prosecutor Oliver Doherty said having obtained employment by fraud, Prudham, also known as Ring, started work for Vinci Services.

He and another employee collected mainly coins but It was discovered that notes totalling about £2,000 had gone missing from car parks.

Those in Kent included Borough Green, Chatham, Hildenborough, Longfield, Maidstone East, Meopham, Rainham, Sevenoaks, Staplehurst, Fremlin Walk, Maidstone, and Darent Valley Hospital.

Mr Doherty said it was discovered there was a considerable shortfall in money collected.

He was able to steal because the cash box had an old security device fitted and could easily be disabled.

“That was how he got the money out - tipping the box upside down and tipping the cash out of it,” said Mr Doherty. “

Investigators also discovered Cheryl Prudham had paid for the expensive family holiday with regular deposits with Thomas Cook in Sittingbourne.

Mr Doherty said since committing the offences, Robert Prudham had been convicted of harassing his ex-partner, as well as shoplifting.

Cheryl Prudham, of Grasmere Avenue, Warrington, Cheshire, will now be sentenced tomorrow.

The 34-year-old mother, who has lived in Gravesend and Teynham, was given the benefits title after raking in more than £40,000 a year and buying lavish gifts for her children.

Eve George, defending, said Prudham had since moved to Manchester and “turned over a new leaf”. He was in a new relationship and had obtained a job as a packer with Kelloggs, the cereal company.

Miss George said Prudham, who has six children with Cheryl, had not committed any offences since moving.

But said Judge Williams: “He committed offences while on bail to this court. He has continued to commit offences and his response to community orders has been abysmal.”

Passing sentence, the judge said: “This was deliberate dishonesty on your part. You have a bad record for all manner of offences, in particular for theft and other dishonesty.

“You have significantly failed to respond to community orders and you have failed to take up all those opportunities.”

He was jailed for nine months for the four theft offences and five months consecutive for fraud.