A mother-of-eight who lied about being disabled to claim more than £60,000 in benefit payments while she was working has been branded ‘devious and wicked’ by a judge.

Andrea Blackburn, 40, was told she was 'within a whisper of going to prison' but was instead handed a suspended sentence for making several false benefit claims over a four-year period.

Teesside Crown Court heard the woman made a legitimate disability claim in 2008 but went on to 'manipulate' authorities into giving her £62,640 worth of benefit payments after she 'got a taste of it'.

Andrea Blackburn, (in black covered by coat) 40, from Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, was given a suspended prison sentence for benefit fraud. She pretended she was unable to walk or talk, dress herself or even eat and drink to claim the money

To qualify for the huge sum, Blackburn pretended she was unable to walk or talk, dress herself, eat or drink, suffered from uncontrollable shakes and claimed she couldn't leave her house or be left alone.

But it was revealed authorities failed to verify her claims and instead of being house bound Blackburn was juggling up to three different jobs and working up to 40 hours a week.

Handing her a 10 month suspended sentence, Judge Taryn Turner branded Blackburn a 'devious and wicked' woman who 'manipulated the system' at the expense of others entitled to state support.

Despite claiming benefits the 40-year-old (in black covered by a coat) was juggling three different jobs and working 40 hours a week

She said: 'It is grossly fraudulent, it is particularly wicked what you have done.

'You are quite capable of manipulating the system. You have dishonestly deprived others who are rightly entitled to the benefits she has enjoyed.

'You have been wicked and devious for a long period of time. There are aspects of your personality that cause me great concern, you are incapable of being straight with anyone she talks to.

'There are people in this country who genuinely suffer from disabilities and illnesses and will need the support the Department for Work and Pensions and local councils offer.

'You were an industrious woman capable of working and providing for her family.

'You came within a whisper of going to prison.'

The court heard from 2011 to 2016 Blackburn received £23,658 in disability allowance, £8,634 in capacity benefit and £10,745 in housing benefit.

She also claimed £13,592 in employment and support allowance and £6,009 in personal independence payments.

The overall total exceeded £62,500.

Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said Blackburn's fraudulent activity began with a legitimate disability allowance claim but she went on to fabricate countless disabilities to move up the benefit bands and make other false claims.

He said: 'She indicated she was an agoraphobic who suffered from nerve issues, used crutches to help her walk, needed help to leave the house, to change her clothes and someone to speak for her.

'She said she doesn't go out at all, doesn't answer the door, stays most days in bed, needed help to eat and drink and she couldn't communicate.

'But at this time, in 2013, she was working in Tesco 20 hours a week.

'She was also working in Marks and Spencer's 16 hours a week, making it an overall 36 hours a week.'

He said that Blackburn later claimed she suffered from incontinence problems, had to be repositioned throughout the night and could barely walk two metres.

But during this time she was working up to 40 hours a week at Greggs, Tesco and Sainsbury's.

Damian Sabino, defending, said Blackburn, who takes medication for depression and anxiety, is 'vulnerable' and an 'easy target' who struggles to come to terms with reality.

Teesside Crown Court (pictured) heard the woman made a legitimate disability claim in 2008 but went on to 'manipulate' authorities into giving her £62,640 worth of benefit payments

He said: 'This was not sophisticated, it was never going to work and was only a matter of time.

'She accepts responsibility for her offending. There has been surgery during the period of the claims but she always gave a worse case scenario.

'She understood what she was doing was wrong and buried her head in the sand when facing reality.

'Over the years she has been left in debt by loaners. She is an easy target.

None of her previous partners have worked and she has often become a victim in the relationship.

'She is vulnerable and did not have a start in life to put her in good stead for adult relationships, adulthood and budgeting.'

Blackburn, from Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, pleaded guilty to six counts of falsely disclosing information to make a gain.

She was handed a 10 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

Blackburn was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, take part in 20 days of rehabilitation treatment and pay £600 in costs.