JAILED: Policeman 'lied to cover up his partner's £20,000 benefits fraud'

Pc Steven Cook had lived with Diane Cargill for years but allowed her to pretend she was single to illegally pocket the money, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

This was despite the 37-year-old officer taking paternity leave following the birth of their first child and applying for nursery vouchers, revealed Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting.

Cargill, aged 35, picked up housing and council tax benefits together with income support to which she was not entitled for two and a half years.

The racket was uncovered after a tip off the pair were living as man and wife and the subsequent investigation disclosed they had a child together.

Despite this the pair repeatedly denied being in a relationship, claiming they lived separate lives on different floors of the same house in Groveland Road, Tipton.

Cook maintained the little girl's picture was on his Facebook because he was her godfather.

The bent copper told benefit investigators he had been 'a bit naughty' by taking paternity leave, implying that he had lied when telling the West Midlands force that the child was his, continued Mr Jackson.

Cargill insisted that the real father was a 'disgusting, dirty old man'.

In fact the police officer with 11 years experience had told lies in an effort to undermine the probe, said the prosecutor.

Incredibly Cook had not needed to say anything to the investigators who could not force him to attend an interview.

He voluntarily went to two of these.

Mr Jackson continued: "He could have said nothing. He chose to tell a pack of lies."

A paternity test performed in April 2015 proved the policeman was the father of the little girl.

Cargill refused to allow a similar check on the second baby she gave birth to. A dozen officers provided witness statements confirming Cook and Cargill were a couple and their first child was his.

When he applied for a move to Cheshire Police he stated that they had been partners for 18 years, the court heard.

He has spent two years suspended on full pay.

Following the sentencing he will now face gross misconduct disciplinary proceedings.

Chief Inspector Brian Carmichael, from the force's Professional Standards Department, said: "We demand the highest standards from all our officers and PC Cook failed to show the level of honesty and integrity we expect from someone in such a position of trust."

The couple did not plead guilty until last month.

Cargill, now of Selside Lawn, Liverpool, admitted defrauding the benefit system of £20,700 between July 2009 and March 2012 while Cook, now from Bramblewood Close, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Judge Nicholas Webb told him: "You are highly dishonest and are almost certainly the father of her second child. You abused your position as a police officer."

Cargill got a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years. She was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work and given a curfew.