Cheat : Melissa Whiting , 33 , from Darlington , who used illegally claimed benefits as a 'financial security net ' while enjoying foreign holidays and a lavish lifestyle . A mother-of-three who used illegally-claimed benefits as a 'financial safety net ' while enjoying foreign holidays and lavish spending on her home was receiving thousands from her well-paid boyfriend , a court heard . Melissa Whiting told officials she lived alone with her three children and raked in income support , housing benefit and council tax relief , a court heard . But in reality , she was sharing her Darlington home with boyfriend Mark Briscoe - a former soldier working in private security in the Middle East . In one year , he was able to deposit £9,000 into his 33-year-old girlfriend 's account - all the while claiming benefits , using them as a 'financial safety net ' . It also enabled her to pay for family holidays to Majorca and Bulgaria , as well as a £1,000-plus sofa , fridge , washing machine , flooring and a Sky subscription . Her deception was discovered in 2013 , although she initially denied being in a relationship with Mr Briscoe . However , her neighbours knew they were a couple , and Teesside Crown Court heard Mr Briscoe also had his car registered at the Darlington property , and his pension correspondence from the army went there . Eventually , Whiting admitted two charges of failing to notify a change in circumstances , and yesterday she was given a two-month suspended prison sentence . The judge , Recorder Martin Bethel , QC , described her dishonesty as 'blatant ' and also ordered Whiting , of Chestnut Drive , to pay £400 costs . Penny Bottomley , mitigating , told the court that the fathers of Whiting 's first two children 'contributed very little to their upbringing ' . She added : 'Her explanation to the Probation Service for continuing to claim benefits is it was a financial safety net for her and her children . 'That 's somewhat understandable given she had spent the past 11 years receiving very little money from their fathers . 'She accepts it was wrong . ' Miss Bottomley told the judge that unemployed Whiting had struggled with a gambling addiction at one point , but that was 'now being managed ' . The youngest of the defendant 's three children - Mr Briscoe is the father - is three , and the others are aged seven and 11 , the court was told . Prosecutor Nigel Soppitt said the allegation was she claimed more than £11,800 over 18 months , but the defence case is that it was £5,000 over nine months .
Melissa Whiting claimed she was a single mother in order to claim benefits . But Whiting was actually in a relationship with former soldier Mark Briscoe . The private security worker was depositing one into her account . So mother-of-three used benefits as a 'safety net ' while spending lavishly . Defence say is 'understandable ' due to lack of child support from fathers .