A benefit cheat who claimed more than £16,000 in housing benefit while he was living with his mother has been jailed for 12 months by Brighton magistrates.

Stephen Fraser-Holmes, 39, of Lustrells Vale, Saltdean, admitted ten offences of making false statements to obtain benefit from Brighton and Hove City Council at an earlier hearing.

The case had been adjourned for pre-sentence and psychiatric reports.

Len Batten, prosecuting for the city council, told the court Fraser-Holmes started claiming £50 a week housing benefit and council tax benefit in 1993.

He said Fraser-Holmes signed documents claiming he was not related to his landlady, who was in fact his mother.

In October last year an investigation into his claim was launched after council officers became suspicious as he was not claiming Jobseekers Allowance and claimed he lived off gifts from his family.

He told the council he failed to say he was living with his mother because he believed it would make the complicated claims procedure simpler.

The court heard the house is owned by Fraser-Holmes' mother and sister.

Jonathan Wintle, defending, said the money received from the council went directly to his mother and was not spent on a champagne lifestyle.

He said Fraser-Holmes had suffered many years of mental health problems.

Last year he started his own business, a cafe in Seaford, but trade had suffered because of publicity over the court case.

"The business he has build up is in jeopardy because of this".

The Argus reported how Fraser-Holmes had his convictions for making the false claims quashed by magistrates after he accused a JP of falling asleep during his trial.

He wrote to the Lord Chancellor's department complaining the trial, in which he had denied the ten offences, had been unfair because one of the three magistrates had nodded off.

The guilty verdicts were overturned and Fraser-Holmes admitted the ten offences.