A WOMAN who masterminded an elaborate fraud to fund a millionaire lifestyle for her family has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Appearing at Teesside Crown Court yesterday, Deborah Keery, 41, of Holyrood Court, Hart Village, near Hartlepool, wept as Judge Leslie Spittle told her: "The lifestyle you created through your fraud was more reminiscent of unrealistic television programmes than real life."

Keery conned money from the Coal Board Pensions Fund by pretending her grandfather was still alive and from the Department for Work and Pensions by falsely claiming she cared for her deceased grandmother.

The mother-of-two went on to forge references and wage slips to secure tenancies at executive homes throughout the North-East and left behind a string of rent arrears and unpaid utility bills.

Jobless Keery benefited by almost £200,000 during the seven-year scam, which also included fleecing banks and loan companies out of tens of thousands of pounds by using fictitious jobs and salaries.

Keery admitted a total of 34 charges of obtaining money transfers by deception, obtaining property by deception, obtaining services by deception, attempting to obtain services by deception, attempting to obtain services by deception and conspiracy to defraud.

Her mother, Margaret Simpson, 61, also of Hart Village, admitted two charges of conspiracy to defraud and was given an 18-month jail sentence suspended for two years, and a 12-month supervision order.

Keery's husband, Nigel, 47, a former Army sergeant who saw action in the Falklands War and served in Bosnia and Northern Ireland, admitted a total of six deception charges.

He was given a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years after Judge Spittle was told he signed documents relating to three of the tenancy frauds and three bank account applications.

His barrister, Tony Davis, told the court: "Sophistication is not a word that can be hung around Mr Keery's neck as a label."

Peter Makepeace, prosecuting, said police and investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions discovered the family led a luxurious lifestyle funded by a "myriad of deceptions".

Mr Makepeace said they rented a string of "ostentatious and grand properties" with stables, paddocks and tennis courts, employed nannies and cleaners, drove BMWs and Land Rovers and had first-class trips to Florida and Las Vegas costing up to £30,000.

At the same time, Keery claimed benefits and pensions from Cockerton post office in Darlington, where she told social security bosses she lived.

Keery's barrister, Sarah Mallett, said she had a misguided belief that she was responsible for the emotional and material well-being of the whole family and wanted their lives to be comfortable.

Ms Mallett added: "She is an intelligent woman who has acted downright stupid and entirely irresponsibly, and downright dishonest and criminal."