Former Iron Maiden singerjailed for fraud

Tue 15th Mar, 2011 in International News

Former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno has been sentenced to nine months in prison for fraud.

Di’Anno had been claiming income support, housing benefit and council tax handouts from the Department of Work and Pensions despite touring all over the world between 2002 and 2008 and pleaded guilty to eight counts of benefit fraud amounting to more than £45,000.

His defense representative, Steven Ritter, claims that Di’Anno “was obsessed with music and performing. He is very naive in terms of business matters and has no formal education… He suffered severe injury when he jumped off stage as part of his act in 1998 but carried on performing with agents promising him next month would provide the next big drift of money he was looking for… He sought the money he was owed but lawyers and agents would take it, he got very little from all his touring… He has fallen into a pit of mayhem and has lost practically everything. He does not care what happens to him, only his wife and children.”

However, Judge Jane Miller QC ignored the pleas from Di’Anno in her sentencing, noting that: “Your greed has cost this country a lot of money. The claims were for a long time and for a large cost… In 2007 you performed at 69 venues, in 2006 you performed 67 times. I do not accept you only got expenses.”