Bodybuilder ordered to repay £30,000 of fraudulently claimed benefits

A bodybuilding champion has avoided immediate imprisonment despite defrauding the benefits system of more than £50,000 over a decade.

Thomas 'TJ' Brown, 53, received a three-year suspended sentence last week at Belfast Crown Court after originally receiving a two-year sentence.

He admitted to falsely claiming income support and housing benefit whilst simultaneously earning money as an unlicensed taxi driver.

Mr Justice Fowler ordered the Strabane man to repay £30,000 to the Department for Communities within the next two years.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Brown previously served as a bodyguard for Willie Gallagher, the convicted bomber and former hunger striker who leads the paramilitary organisation in Tyrone.

Sources familiar with Brown have characterised him as the INLA's (Irish National Liberation Army) "muscle" in the Strabane area, responsible for collecting payments and intimidating those who failed to comply.

A republican source said: "TJ made plenty of money over the years from extorting money from criminals, usually cocaine dealers, who had to pay the INLA for 'protection'.

"Because of his size, he'd be sent round to collect the money and crack a few heads if it wasn't paid."

The 53-year-old was imprisoned for nine months in 2022 after threatening a man who had received a substantial workplace compensation payout.

Brown confronted his victim at a barber shop, demanding £30,000 as a "goodwill gesture" to the organisation and warning he could be shot if he refused.

The benefit fraud came to light during the PSNI investigation into Brown's extortion activities.

Officers searching his Strabane property in 2019 discovered £8,400 in cash hidden in various locations throughout the home.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• One of Britain's biggest theme parks imposes cap on queue jumps for those with ADHD and autism
• Benefits cheat jailed after stealing identity of man near Grenfell to scam thousands from fund
• Taxpayers forking out eye-watering £25MILLION-a-week to pay for benefits cheats’ claims

When questioned, Brown claimed he worked for Street Cars in Strabane, transporting disabled children to school for £120 per day, and insisted that he submitted his tax returns each January.

However, HMRC confirmed it held no self-assessment records or PAYE employment documentation for Brown between 2010 and 2020.

Bank records revealed the taxi firm's owner had transferred £4,400 into Brown's account in December 2019.

Pressed about this payment, Brown initially deflected before eventually acknowledging he had been working for the company.

The court heard that Brown had been repaying his debt at just £80 per month, a rate that would require him to live to 103 to clear the outstanding £47,000.

This impractical timeline prompted Mr Justice Fowler to impose the accelerated repayment order, requiring Brown to return £30,000 of the stolen funds within 24 months.

Despite receiving a two-year custodial sentence, the judge suspended the term for three years, allowing Brown to remain free.

Brown had also faced charges of involvement in drug supply on behalf of the INLA, described in court documents as an "organised crime gang", though these allegations were subsequently dropped.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter