How the mighty had fallen was the story of a 79-year-old retired business man’s downfall when he came up against the Inland Revenue, his solicitor told Truro magistrates.

Norman Hiscock, of Aldreath Road in Madron, appeared before the court because he failed to disclose that he was receiving pension payments when he applied for benefits between 2002 and 2014. He pleaded guilty to three fraud offences.

Alison May, for the CPS, said Hiscock had wrongly claimed council and housing tax benefit, leading him to an overpayment of around £20,000. When questioned, he said he had received a tax bill in excess of £50,000 and his pension monies had been frozen and taken as part of the settlement.

When the pension payment was reinstalled he did not give it any thought. He accepted what he did was his own fault but had not intended to cheat anybody. He had since repaid about £570.

His solicitor David Harvey said his was a sad story. Hiscock had worked all life, selling up to retire to Cornwall. He then received an Inland Revenue bill for over £50,000. and thought he had two years to pay it, but the authority served him with a bankruptcy notice. He lost a lot of money in property, and was made bankrupt for three years, losing all his assets and his pensions were frozen.

He was a carer for his invalid wife and in poor health himself through the stress of caring for her. For the first time in his life, he had applied for benefit, but did not declare two pensions he knew he should have. He was deeply ashamed and was now repaying the debt at £144 a month.

“He will spend the rest of his life paying off that debt,” said Mr Harvey.

Hiscock was given a conditional discharge for three years and told to pay £100 costs and charges.