A GREAT grandmother who cheated the benefits system out of almost £80,000 walked free from court today.

Jean Coombes, 64, has one previous offence - also for benefits fraud - and a judge said that it "is difficult to accept she is genuinely remorseful."

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 64-year-old, from Eastham, obtained the benefits by falsely claiming she lived alone, when in fact her partner, a security guard, was living with her.

She pleaded guilty though the court heard that she still maintains he was not her partner just a friend helping her because of her mobility problems.

But Judge Rachel Smith said she sentenced her on the basis they had been living together "as man and wife".

She pointed out that if she jailed Coombes she would be released after just a few months.

"The public would bear the cost of your incarceration and the prison service would have to manage your health issues since you are a woman with a number of health issues".

Imposing a 16-month jail sentence she told Coombes, who has long blonde hair and was using a walking stick, "it is in the interests of the community at large that it should be suspended".

The term was suspended for 18 months and the judge also imposed a three month curfew, restricting her to inside her home, between 7pm and 7am and made a 12-month supervision order.

Coombes, of Lyndale Avenue, Eastham, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to five benefit fraud offences spanning ten years from April 2005 and July 2015.

Kevin Slack, prosecuting, said Coombes had obtained a total of £88,236 in income support, employment and support allowance, housing and council tax benefits and latterly pension credits.

If she had declared her true position she would have been entitled to just over £9,500 so the net loss was £78,661.

He said that she began claiming benefits legitimately in 1999 on the basis she was single and not working due to illness.

However by April 2005 she was co-habitating with David Attewell at her home but she did not inform the DWP or Wirral Borough Council.

When she reached 63 years old in 2015 she had to make a fresh claim for pension credits and again falsely claimed that she lived alone.

Investigations showed that Mr Attewell had given her address to apply for a passport, told his employers he lived there, put her down as his next of kin and the Virgin Media account was in his name.

Coombes was interviewed twice and eventually admitted he lived there but said he was her friend and was acting as her carer.

She denied acting dishonestly.

Katy Appleton, defending, said that Coombes, who received a community order for benefit fraud in 2002, has three children, nine grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

Mr Attewell had gradually moved in to help her because of her deteriorating health difficulties, including arthritis, back trouble, angina and diabetes.

The defendant, who has had two heart attacks, had not known how much he earned and he moved out last year.

Ms Appleton said: "She is remorseful and accepts now she should have notified the DWP that he was residing at the address but she maintains she was never in a relationship with him".