A property developer who claimed benefits while earning £200,000 a year has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Keith Morgan claimed £23,000 in Employment Support Allowance during four years during which he paid £855,000 into his bank account.

His accounts showed that his building and property management business had made a profit of more than £400,000 during the time he was claiming to be unemployed.

Morgan paid in £20,000 to his account within days of making his first claim for benefits in October 2012. He was advised by an official that any earnings above £101 a week must be declared but failed to do so.

When he was caught in 2017, he claimed to have been confused by the rules and to have thought he was allowed to work 16 hours a week.

His account was dismissed as ‘garbage’ by a judge at Exeter Crown Court, who said he did not believe any of Morgan’s version of events.

Morgan, aged 59, of Horse Lane, Shaldon, admitted fraud and was jailed for 15 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 180 hours unpaid community work by Judge Timothy Rose.

He ordered him to repay the outstanding amount of £20,508.19 and £1,500 costs within six months. He said he did not understand what had happened to all the money.

He told Morgan: ‘Over months and years, you were banking something in the region of £200,000 a year. I understand some of that may have been turned around and paid out but you banked around £400,000 more than left your account.

‘All of the while, you were claiming benefit. That illustrates the systematic and protracted nature of the dishonesty that was at large in this case.’

The judge said the main reason why he was suspending the sentence was that Morgan is the main carer for his 96-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia.

Miss Anita Noerr, prosecuting, said Morgan started claiming ESA in October 2012 and filled in forms saying his income as a self-employed builder and decorator had fallen so much he was entitled to benefits.

His fraud carried on until March 2017 and he was paid a total of £23,308.19. An inquiry showed very large payments throughout, including £20,000 just days before he made the first claim.

Mr Martin Salloway, defending, said Morgan had suffered a type of mental breakdown after his marriage broke up and was not fully aware of what he was doing.

He said he is now working on a building project in Torbay and caring for his 96-year-old mother.