I Can't See What She Could Be Studying, Can You?

A student defrauded a council out of more than £5,000 by secretly moving her mother into her home.

Poor kid, probably lonely, missing her mum while...

Wait, what?

Biri Chingwaru, 55 (Ed: !!!), of West Road, Westcliff, told Southend Council she lived alone so she would be exempt from paying council tax.

She admitted fraud at Southend Magistrates after claiming more than £5,000 she was not entitled to.

Council finance boss Joe Chesterton said the case should serve as a warning to anyone thinking of committing the same kind of offence.

Yes, a warning that the UK justice system is very, very lenient and there's nothing to really lose by trying to game the system...

In mitigation, her defence stated that she had now repaid the debt in full and had shown remorse.

She was sentenced to a community order of 12 months, in which she will have to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, costs of £287 and a victim surcharge of £60.

*sighs* Was deportation too much to hope for?