A 47-YEAR-OLD man who received almost £40,000 in fraudulent benefit claims while he had nearly £300,000 in two banks and properties in Spain was today freed on a suspended jail term.

Judge Paul Ramsey QC told former soldier Clive Miller, of Coleshill Crescent, Enniskillen, he accepted he was a “broken man both physically and mentally”, who had “brought disgrace on himself” by his appearance in court.

However, the Dungannon Crown Court judge said he had received a testimonial from a "senior politician" which "spoke glowingly of his work in the voluntary sector".

Miller had previously pleaded guilty to four charges of failing to declare a change in circumstances to the Social Security Agency between May 2002 and December 2010 in obtaining both housing benefit and income support.

However, two other charges of money laundering, against the invalided former soldier who is still in receipt of benefit including DLA and industrial injuries, arising out of deposits of over £280,000 in a Santander and Ulster Bank accounts between March 2003 and and April 2006, were 'left on the books' and not proceeded with.

Judge Ramsey said Miller, who'd spent three years in the army, "faces an uncertain future", including a 'proceeds of crime' hearing to determine what monies he has to repay, and that his offending had also cost him his marriage.

Imposing a 12-month jail term, the judge then suspended it for two years.