Willesden Magistrates Court
A man who falsely claimed to be a football coach at Queen’s Park Rangers and a victim of domestic abuse in order to secure council housing has been sentenced after pleading guilty to eight counts of fraud following an investigation by Barnet Council.
Travonn St Leonce submitted fake payslips and doctored bank statements to support his application for housing assistance.
He claimed he had been made homeless due to domestic abuse, which would have placed him in priority need and allowed him to bypass the usual requirement of a five-year connection to the borough.
As a result of his false claims, Barnet Council provided temporary accommodation at a cost of £2,078.
However, council investigators discovered that the property he claimed to have been forced out of was actually rented solely in his name. The tenancy had been voluntarily ended in January 2024, and landlords confirmed no other person was listed on the tenancy agreement.
Had St Leonce disclosed that he had voluntarily ended his tenancy in Hemel Hempstead, he would have been deemed intentionally homeless and ineligible for housing assistance.
In court, he admitted that he had never worked for QPR but had falsified payslips to show he was working, which would assist in his housing claim. He admitted that the application itself was false.
He was sentenced at Willesden Magistrates Court on Tuesday 30 September and received a 12 month Community Order of 15 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 180 hours unpaid work.
He was also made to pay compensation of £2078 and contribution to prosecution costs of £2000 were awarded.
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes & Regeneration, Cllr Ross Houston, said:
“This was a calculated attempt to exploit a system designed to protect the most vulnerable. Domestic abuse is an incredibly serious issue, and it is deeply troubling when someone fabricates such claims for personal gain.
“I want to thank our officers for their diligence in uncovering the truth and protecting public funds. Barnet Council remains committed to ensuring that support reaches those who genuinely need it.”
Barnet Council takes claims of domestic abuse very seriously, there is a page dedicated to access to support and information on its website: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/children-and-families/domestic-abuse
There is also information on how to report someone making false housing claims such as tenancy fraud : https://www.barnet.gov.uk/your-council/fraud-investigation/tenancy-fraud