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| 'Voodoo-cursed' woman is jailed | 'Voodoo-cursed' woman is jailed |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A woman who produced human fingers in court in a bid to explain her involvement in a £925,000 tax credit fraud has been jailed for five years. | A woman who produced human fingers in court in a bid to explain her involvement in a £925,000 tax credit fraud has been jailed for five years. |
| Remi Fakorede, 46, from Hackney, east London, told Snaresbrook Crown Court, she had been forced into crime by a voodoo curse on her and her family. | Remi Fakorede, 46, from Hackney, east London, told Snaresbrook Crown Court, she had been forced into crime by a voodoo curse on her and her family. |
| Fakorede claimed the same voodoo curse caused the fingers belonging to one of her six children to fall off. | Fakorede claimed the same voodoo curse caused the fingers belonging to one of her six children to fall off. |
| She was convicted of one count of fraud between 1 August 2002 and 26 June 2007. | She was convicted of one count of fraud between 1 August 2002 and 26 June 2007. |
| This was a sophisticated fraud... which resulted in the Inland Revenue being defrauded to the tune of nearly £1m Judge Jacqueline Beech | This was a sophisticated fraud... which resulted in the Inland Revenue being defrauded to the tune of nearly £1m Judge Jacqueline Beech |
| Her daughter, Denise Shofolawe-Cokerenise, 21, also from Hackney, was jailed for 12 months at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday after being found guilty of laundering £70,000 of the stolen money. | Her daughter, Denise Shofolawe-Cokerenise, 21, also from Hackney, was jailed for 12 months at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday after being found guilty of laundering £70,000 of the stolen money. |
| Judge Jacqueline Beech said the 46-year-old Nigerian-born defendant's behaviour was "utterly disgraceful" and a "cynical attempt to manipulate the jury". | Judge Jacqueline Beech said the 46-year-old Nigerian-born defendant's behaviour was "utterly disgraceful" and a "cynical attempt to manipulate the jury". |
| DNA test results have since been ordered to determine who the body parts belonged to, although it is understood the defendant's three-year-old daughter had lost part of her hand after suffering renal problems and developing gangrene. | DNA test results have since been ordered to determine who the body parts belonged to, although it is understood the defendant's three-year-old daughter had lost part of her hand after suffering renal problems and developing gangrene. |
| Social Services and the Child Protection Agency were also contacted following the incident in court. | Social Services and the Child Protection Agency were also contacted following the incident in court. |
| Passing sentence the judge, who said the fingers incident was the most "horrific" she had experienced, told Fakorede she had been responsible for a "wholesale assault on the benefit system". | Passing sentence the judge, who said the fingers incident was the most "horrific" she had experienced, told Fakorede she had been responsible for a "wholesale assault on the benefit system". |
| Disabled twins | Disabled twins |
| Rejecting a defence plea for a suspended sentence, she told the defendant from the moment the tax credit benefit was introduced she was "involved in fraudulent claims". | Rejecting a defence plea for a suspended sentence, she told the defendant from the moment the tax credit benefit was introduced she was "involved in fraudulent claims". |
| She hid both her £40,000-a-year salary and her partner's existence to fool the authorities. | She hid both her £40,000-a-year salary and her partner's existence to fool the authorities. |
| The judge said: "If that were not bad enough you also became involved with others in making other false claims." | The judge said: "If that were not bad enough you also became involved with others in making other false claims." |
| "This was a sophisticated fraud... which resulted in the Inland Revenue being defrauded to the tune of nearly £1m. I am satisfied that you were either the lynchpin in this fraud or, at least, one of the main conspirators." | "This was a sophisticated fraud... which resulted in the Inland Revenue being defrauded to the tune of nearly £1m. I am satisfied that you were either the lynchpin in this fraud or, at least, one of the main conspirators." |
| Jurors heard Fakorede used combinations of her names to create 20 phantom families with children - often disabled twins - to make 39 false tax credit claims. | Jurors heard Fakorede used combinations of her names to create 20 phantom families with children - often disabled twins - to make 39 false tax credit claims. |
| Stolen national insurance numbers were also used. | Stolen national insurance numbers were also used. |
| A confiscation hearing is due to be held at a later date. | A confiscation hearing is due to be held at a later date. |