An RAF veteran has avoided being sent to prison for a £36,000 benefits fiddle – thanks in part to the service he gave his country.

Gary Townsley, 49, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court for a crime he committed over a period of more than three years.

Townsley had previously admitted five charges of fraud.

Three counts related to his failure to disclose information to the authorities and the other two surrounded making false representations.

The offences were committed between March, 2011 and October, 2014.

Tim Evans, prosecuting, told the court Townsley’s fraudulent claim of benefits had been dishonest from the outset.

He had initially lodged an application for job seekers’ allowance on the basis that he was not employed.

“In fact, a little prior to that, he had begun working for Manpower,” said Mr Evans.

In total, Townsley, said to have a distinguished service record, had falsely claimed more than £18,000 in job seekers’ allowance. In addition, he fraudulently collected housing benefit of almost £17,700 while living in the Carlisle area.

An investigation into the crime showed he had been working up to 55 hours a week.

Little mitigation was offered by his lawyer Philip Andrews after Judge Peter Davies announced that he was suspending a 12-month prison sentence for two years.

Townsley must complete 150 hours’ unpaid work.

“Three things have saved you,” the judge said. “One is your RAF service – that weighs with me, somebody who puts their life on the line in their work.”

The other factors were Townsley’s guilty plea to the charges and UK’s lack of any previous convictions.

But Judge Davies told Townsley, now of Canonbie Avenue, East Kilbride, that his crimes were serious.

“This is theft – theft from the public. It is £12,000 a year that we can ill afford,” said the judge.

“It is everybody’s money, it is taxpayers’ money and what you did is steal from it.

“It is the lady that needs a hip operation and has to have it cancelled, and those children that don’t get the best education that they could do.

“Those railways that don’t open on time, the holes in the motorways that don’t get repaired. Add what you have done to what everybody else does around the country, and that is what I am talking about. You richly deserved to go to custody for stealing all that money.”

The court heard Townsley promise to start paying back the money at a rate of £300 per month.