Benefit Cheats Sentenced

A woman has handed a jail term after being convicted at Belfast Crown Court for claiming benefits she was not entitled to. Lynda Ferguson, 51, of Enler Park, Dundonald claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £21,740 while failing to declare she was living with her partner. She was given 15 months imprisonment suspended for 30 months. erguson is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency. Elsewhere, a woman was also convicted at Londonderry Crown Court for claiming benefits she was not entitled to. Deborah O'Kane, 43, of Victoria Gate, Londonderry claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £42,021 while failing to she was declare she was employed. She was given an 80 hour community service order and 12 months probation. O'Kane is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency.

Kerr Suspect's Wife Seeks Ruling

There's a legal tussle underway over one of the men being held in connection with the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr after his wife launched a legal challenge for being denied access to the family home. Sarah McKiernan was yesterday granted leave to seek a judicial review of the prohibition imposed during police searches of her house in Omagh. Her husband, Sean McKiernan, is one of three men being questioned about the fatal car bomb attack on Constable Kerr outside his home in the town on April 2. The mother-of-three is seeking a High Court declaration that the PSNI acted unlawfully during searches of her home which began a day after the killing. She alleges her right to respect for privacy and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights was violated.

Justice Done

As this week's first anniversary of the devolution of justice to Northern Ireland passes, Alliance Justice Spokesperson Stephen Farry has praised the work done by his party leader, the Justice Minister, David Ford since the devolution of these powers. "Through strong negotiation, he secured an extra £245m of funding to tackle terrorism over the next four years. He also successfully introduced arguably the most substantial and important piece of legislation this Assembly has ever seen in the Justice Bill. This Bill helps put greater emphasis on the needs of victims of crime and provides new alternatives to prosecution to enable us to deliver justice more effectively. He has also worked to deliver important reforms to legal aid to make the system more cost-effective whilst maintaining excellent access to justice for all," the politician enthused.

Culloden Puts Arts On Show

A sculpture festival is to take place in the grounds of NI's best-known hotels. The Culloden will be partnering with Gormley's Fine Art to support both established and emerging artists for the exhibition, which will take place from 7th - 22nd May with 120 sculptures adorning the 12-acre estate. The works - which range in price from £1,000 to £50,000 - will be contributed by up to 60 Irish and international sculptors, old and new, at the forefront of their profession.

Credit Warning

The Office of Fair Trading has revealed that it has closed down 19 unlicensed 'lead generation websites' which source information from people looking for credit and sell this data on to other businesses. The websites targeted people with disabilities, those connected to the military and people with generally limited access to credit. An OFT investigation found they were unlicensed and therefore in breach of the Consumer Credit Act. The sites have now been taken down by the businesses concerned or shut down with the cooperation of the website hosts. The OFT advises consumers to think carefully before putting their personal details into any lead generation website. If this information is sold on, consumers may find they are subject to unwanted contact from a number of other companies.

(BMcC/GK)