Telford trainee nurse claimed £18,000 in benefits while working as male stripper

Andrew Goodyer, 36, yesterday admitted five charges of benefit fraud relating to incapacity benefit, jobseekers allowance and employment support allowance.

Mrs Katie Price, prosecuting, said Goodyer had claimed the stripping work was voluntary work and he was only getting travel expenses.

At the time of the offences, Goodyer had been living with his wife and had been training to be a nurse, the court heard.

However the household began hitting financial difficulties and Goodyer had taken up stripping to bring in an extra income of £200-£300 a week.

Magistrates at Telford were told that Goodyer's work invalidated his benefit claims between March 2011 and March 2013, an over payment of £18,495.

Mrs Lisa Morris-Jones, for Goodyer, said he had meant to declare the money to the benefits agencies but had failed to do so, saying he was just handing it over to his wife.

The court was told that the defendant finished his stripping work when he separated from his wife in August 2013 and had not claimed any benefits since that date.

He had since met a new partner and was engaged to marry, magistrates heard.

Mrs Morris-Jones said Goodyer, of Meadowlea, Madeley, was a different man today compared with the man who committed the offences two years earlier.

Goodyer had been suffering from a very rare bowel disease and had subsequently had his bowel replaced with an artificial one, Mrs Morris-Jones told the court.

"He's a man who wants to settle down and provide a home for young children," she said.

"He wants to return to education so that he can qualify as a nurse specialising with people with bowel conditions," said Mrs Morris-Jones.

Magistrates gave Goodyer a two-month community order with a curfew from 7am to 7pm. He was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge plus £100 prosecution costs.

Miss Morris-Jones said that as a result of the disease and operations, Goodyer was no longer about to father children, but the couple were looking to adopt, once their finances improved.

He made full and frank admissions to the offences when questioned by officers, she told the court and added that she believe information about the fraud was initially supplied by the defendant's ex-wife.

Goodyer suffered from stress and depression, which had been exacerbated by the court case, said Miss Morris-Jones.

"He's been upset and he's been anxious," she added: "He has been, in his words, to hell and back while awaiting his sentence."