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Man convicted of defrauding social services ministry

But Terrace, BC resident will not be spending time in jail

A MAN who's complied with his parole conditions from one conviction will not spend time in jail for a fraud conviction.

Miles Telford Campbell will spend six months on a conditional sentence order followed by one year of probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to one count of fraud over $5,000 from April to October 2009 and again from April to September 2010.

He will have to pay back the full amount of $9,748.43 to the Ministry of Social Development by June 2015 for taking social assistance money when he wasn't entitled to it.

Campbell was receiving Worker's Compensation benefits after a work injury sustained while working in logging in 2008 but then applied for social assistance, judge Terence Wright told court in his sentencing reasons.

Wright noted that Campbell's criminal record didn't begin until he was 35 years old and the vast majority were for property offences such as break and enter and possession of stolen property.

He was sentenced separately for a “multitude” of property offences Feb. 15, 2012 to two years and nine months in jail and received 15 days time served, said Wright.

Campbell was let out on day parole in May 2013 and has been on full parole since October 2013, court heard.

Campbell has fully complied with all of his parole conditions, said Wright.

There's no doubt Mr. Campbell is authentic, well-intentioned and gifted and has a lot to offer society,” read Wright from the parole report, adding the report also said Campbell accepted full responsibility for his actions and had insight into his behaviour and its impact on the victims.

He's doing very, very well on parole so in my view he's no risk [to the community] on a conditional sentence order,” said Wright.

Campbell must also perform 50 hours of community work service in the first 10 months of his probation.