“Queen of Benefits” Cheryl Prudham has been spared jail for handling cash stolen from meters at car parks by her ex-partner.

The mother-of-12 used some of the money taken by Robert Prudham to pay off the balance for an expensive holiday to an exclusive resort in Spain.

She admitted handling £2,241 of the £4,787 her ex-partner admitted siphoning off while working as a money collector, having obtained the job by fraud.

She was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for two years with a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

A judge told Prudham, who appeared at Maidstone Crown Court by TV link to Warrington Crown Court in Cheshire, where she now lives: “This offence was in my judgement motivated by greed on your part.

"You used the money to pay for sums due on a holiday.”

The court heard Prudham, 35, paid an instalment for the 14-day holiday to Menorca in Spain for her then partner and nine of her children with some of stolen money the day after he resigned from his job.

The holiday, for which she paid £7,671, was to Victoria Playa in Santo Tomas, flying from Gatwick Airport on May 16 2014.

Robert Prudham, formerly of Milton Street, Maidstone, was jailed for 14 months on Monday after admitting stealing from Meteor Parking Ltd between January 4 and February 12 2014 and fraud.

Tattooed Prudham, 33, obtained the job as a money collector by making a false declaration to Red Eagle Recruitment Specialist that he was of good character and had no criminal convictions, when he had 18 previous court appearances for 29 offences.

He stole coins and notes from station car parks in Borough Green, Chatham,

Hildenborough, Longfield, Maidstone East, Meopham, Rainham, Sevenoaks, Staplehurst, Orpington, and car parks at Fremlin Walk in Maidstone, and Darent Valley Hospital.

Investigators also discovered Cheryl Prudham had paid for the expensive family holiday with regular deposits at Thomson’s in Sittingbourne.

Since committing the offences, Robert Prudham had been convicted of harassing his ex-partner, as well as shoplifting.

Cheryl Prudham, 34, of Grasmere Avenue, Warrington, Cheshire, who has lived in Gravesend and Teynham, was given the benefits title after raking in more than £40,000 a year and buying lavish gifts for her children.

Prosecutor Emma Shafton said the mother at first claimed she had saved the money and was reluctant to allow police access to her bank accounts.

She had eight previous convictions for 10 offences, including shoplifting, intimidating a witness and possessing a bladed article in a public place. Her last conviction in 2004 was for possessing cannabis.

Philip Sinclair, defending, said Prudham was in an abusive relationship with her then partner, to whom she was not “officially” married, at the time of the offences. They had six children together.

“It was an abusive relationship virtually from the start,” he said. “She was unable to leave it. She made a number of complaints to the police, but various assaults were never pursued.

“When he brought home a lot of money, largely in coinage, she knew it was stolen. She panicked. She paid for the holiday herself. He contributed nothing towards it.

“It cost nearly £8,000. She had paid £6,000 at the time of the offence. She was able to take up employment working 12 hours a day as a carer. She has now lost that job.

“She was concerned about the stolen money in the house and didn’t know what to do, and she foolishly paid off the balance for the holiday.”

“When he brought home a lot of money, largely in coinage, she knew it was stolen. She panicked. She paid for the holiday herself. He contributed nothing towards it" - Philip Sinclair

Mr Sinclair said Prudham wanted the opportunity to speak to the judge to say how ashamed she was and dearly wanted to repay the money.

Because she had children under the age of four, including twins aged three, she was unable to take up full-time employment. She was earning some money on eBay with a furniture business.

“This offence is an aberration,” said Mr Sinclair. “She is a good mother. The only reason Social Services were ever involved in this family was because of Robert Prudham’s presence.

“She is now doing very well. She presents as a mature and sensible young lady who is deeply ashamed. This is a still young lady who need not be put into immediate custody.

“A suspended sentence can mark the severity of this offence while giving her the opportunity to care for her family and rebuild her life after the abusive relationship with Mr Prudham.”