Hemel man ordered to pay county council costs of over £11,000 after fraud guilty pleas

A man from Hemel Hempstead who received a two-year suspended prison sentence last year, for fraudulently claiming £75,000 worth of care payments for his wife, reappeared in court this week for a confiscation hearing.

Stephen Soladoye, 51, of Melsted Avenue, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of Fraud by False Representation in relation to care payments made by Hertfordshire County Council.

When he appeared at Harrow Crown Court on Monday, March 16, he was ordered to pay costs of £11,030.

The court heard that since July, Soladoye had voluntarily repaid £75,713 in addition to a further £13,714 in interest to Hertfordshire County Council.

HHJ Foster, hearing the case in Soladoye’s absence, awarded the county council full costs of £11,030, ordering this to be repaid within 56 days.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources and Performance, Councillor Ralph Sangster, said: “Crimes like this take money from the people who truly need help.

"We alongside the Shared Anti-Fraud Service remain committed to investigating and prosecuting offences of fraud within the care sector.”

Anyone with information about an allegation of fraud can report it in confidence online or call the Shared Anti-Fraud Service hotline: 0300 1234033.