Mum faked child's birthday 'to stretch them academically' at school

Thursday 02 May 2024

A Jersey mum who falsified details on her child's birth certificate to be able to start the youngster in school earlier because she wanted them to be "challenged mentally" has been spared jail for the fraud.

Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke instead handed the 39-year-old – who Express has chosen not to name in order to protect the identity of her child – a community service and probation order.

The Magistrate's Court heard that the mother had given an incorrect birth date when filling in forms for the government's Nursery Education Fund – which pays part of the fees for nursery school – so that her child would be placed in he academic year above. Academic years run from 1 September to 31 August.

"Is it really that serious?"

As a result, she had obtained £7,638 from the fund a year earlier than she would have been entitled to it, Advocate Katie Ridley, prosecuting, told the Magistrate's Court this week.

The falsehood only came to light when the child reached primary school – and a headteacher noticed the child's birth certificate had been altered.

Advocate Ridley said that when the woman was arrested on 13 January this year, she asked the police: "Is it really that serious?"

"This absolutely wasn't motivated financially"

Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, said the woman had not gained financially from the fraud, as she would have received the nursery school funding the following year.

She also claimed the mother had wanted the child to start school earlier in order to stretch them academically.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court this week.

"This absolutely wasn't motivated financially," the advocate insisted. "She felt that her child needed to be challenged mentally.

"She didn't feel as if she was defrauding anyone or doing anything very wrong."

The court heard that the woman had a previous conviction for falsely claiming nearly £40,000 in income support over a number of years, although Advocate Dale said the money had been set aside for her children's education and had been repaid in full.

"It wasn't spent on anything lavish or frivolous," she said.

"It was serious"

The Assistant Magistrate heard that the woman – who had already pleaded guilty to the offence – was currently expecting a child.

He told her: "You might not have thought this was serious, but it was serious.

"In other circumstances, prison would be the most likely outcome."

He instead sentenced her to 150 hours of community service and imposed a nine-month probation order, and said he would grant her extra time to complete the community service order in view of her pregnancy.