Mark Hawthorn

Mark Hawthorn (aka Tilly/Glitterlips), a male drag queen, was convicted of five counts of benefit fraud after falsely claiming £88,000 in benefits including disability living allowance, council tax benefit and housing benefit for almost a decade.

Hawthorn, aged 49 and from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was sentenced to six months in prison at Stafford Crown Court in 2013, decreased from a possible 18 months, taking into account his troubled early life and his mental health issues.

While working as a drag queen Hawthorn also claimed and received income support after fraudulently claiming he was unfit for work between March 2009 and August 2012. Hawthorn claimed the highest level of disability living allowance, stating he was only able to walk a short distance, suffered from nausea, mood swings and headaches and needed to use inhalers three or four times every two hours. He was caught due to a video on YouTube revealing he was able-bodied. Department for Work & Pensions surveillance also showing Hawthorn at the gym loading up and lifting weights, using the cross-trainer and taking part in step aerobics – sometimes while using dumb-bells. Hawthorn also drove to the gym in his car provided under the Motability scheme.

Sentencing, the judge said “While you were claiming you appeared on stage as a female impersonator. Regularly wearing high heels in an act that was often energetic. All the while you also paid no tax or National Insurance.

“Your offending was truly breathtaking. You should have confined your acting to female impersonations rather than pretending to be ill.” “I do not accept that you will be overly harmed by a period in prison and your condition is one that can be adequately monitored in prison, the sentence must be both a punishment and a deterrent.”

After his release having served half of his sentence, Hawthorn boasted “What makes me laugh most of all is that I managed to get my name in The Guardian. You couldn’t buy this f****** advertising.”

Photo via Daily Telegraph

Media reports

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/22/drag-queen-benefit-fraud  archive

Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2399960/Drag-queen-Mark-Hawthorn-jailed-falsely-claiming-88-000-benefits-performing-woman-called-Tilly.html  archive

Daily Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/drag-queen-benefit-cheat-mark-2851987  archive

Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10259712/Glitter-Lips-drag-queen-jailed-for-benefit-fraud.html