Cruel mother and father made their healthy daughter use a wheelchair for four years so they could claim extra benefits

Louise and Martin Law forced their daughter into a wheelchair to gain benefits Mrs Law, 50, from Goole, East Yorkshire, has now been jailed for over six years

Louise Law, 50, and her ex-husband Martin, 54, made a mockery of the benefits system by using their child as a ploy to gain a mobility car and disability allowance payments

A cruel mother and father who forced their healthy daughter to use a wheelchair for four years in a scam to claim extra benefits have had their comeuppance in court.

Louise Law, 50, and her ex-husband Martin, 54, made a mockery of the benefits system by using their daughter as a ploy to gain a mobility car and disability allowance payments.

The pair, from Goole, East Yorkshire, instructed their seven-year-old to start using the device in 2012 while they ‘fabricated illnesses and exaggerated symptoms’ to teachers and NHS workers.

Hull Crown Court heard that the youngster suffered ‘gratuitous degradation’ at being forced to use the wheelchair – they were bullied at school and deprived of an ordinary childhood.

In court, Louise Law admitted an offence of child cruelty. She changed her plea on the day of a scheduled trial and was jailed for six years and nine months.

Martin Law, now split from his wife, is now a long-term resident of a care home and was ruled unfit to enter a plea – although a jury convicted him of child cruelty. He was made subject of a guardianship order.

Passing sentence, Judge Kate Rayfield told Mrs Law: ‘You repeatedly raised the issue of her being given a wheelchair. You were repeatedly advised against it.

‘She missed out on so much of her childhood because of what you put her through.

‘Despite all of her tests revealing nothing wrong, you continued to subject her to appointments and investigations. You did the talking yourselves, telling the doctors lies.

‘This was a scam… You were telling her to report symptoms that she never said that she had.’

There were concerns from doctors that the Laws were ‘fabricating or exaggerating’ the girl’s symptoms and pretending that the sickness was real. The girl was put into foster care at the age of 12.

The victim was interviewed in September 2022, at the age of 18. She said that the behaviour from her parents began when they were around five or six.

A few initial medical appointments progressed to around 30 hospital appointments, including overnight stays.

Prosecutor Louise Reevell told the court: ‘Her parents made her think that she could not walk properly. She would go to school in a wheelchair but she didn’t really need it.’

After the youngster was placed into foster care, their carer immediately made sure she stopped using the wheelchair and medication, all of which was not needed.

‘She was able to run up and down stairs,’ said Mrs Reevell. ‘She went on to join the Army cadets and did normal activities at school. At no point while in foster care did she suffer any pain or tiredness.

‘The whole situation had a terrible effect on her mental health. Eventually, she stopped all contact with her parents and, as time went on, her mental health declined still further.

‘She realised that they could do all the things that her parents had told her that she could not. She was discharged from an array of health care professionals that she had been referred to over the years.’

Medical staff suspected that illnesses had been fabricated and it was found that the only thing wrong with the girl was wheeziness and allergies.

The victim suffered severe depression. During interview, Louise Law denied any wrongdoing and Martin Law claimed that the illnesses and symptoms of the child were genuine.

The couple’s daughter later said in a statement that the supposed medical issues were ‘all lies’ and that the medical tests and use of a wheelchair were all at the request of their mother and father.

‘I missed out on doing the normal things that other boys and girls were doing.

‘My parents would tell me that I couldn’t walk properly and I had a limp. I was subjected to bullying because I was in a wheelchair.

‘I missed out on doing PE. I missed out on doing the normal things that other boys and girls were doing at break time. PE was something I enjoyed doing.

‘I have no idea why my mother would do this other than she wanted money. I have a plan for the future to get better. I am on the road to recovery now. It was wrong what my parents did…’

Hull Crown Court heard that the child suffered ‘gratuitous degradation’ at being forced to use the wheelchair – being bullied at school and deprived of an ordinary childhood

A consultant psychiatrist said: ‘[The victim] continues to experience nightmares. They continue to struggle with feelings of overwhelming and deep shame.’

Louise Law, a mother-of-four, had no previous convictions – but Martin Law had convictions of spousal abuse.

Dale Brook, mitigating for Louise Law, said she had a very traumatic childhood and was bullied at school, making her a complex and damaged adult.

‘This was a toxic and wholly troubled marriage,’ said Mr Brook. Martin Law had been convicted of two domestic violence offences against Louise Law and she had started a new relationship. ‘There have been no other offences of any kind,’ added Mr Brook.

Oliver Shipley, representing Martin Law, said that the defendant was currently in a care home. He had not been brought to court. It was proposed that a guardianship order be made on him, to be overseen by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Judge Rayfield stated that because the victim was now aged over 18 there was ‘no power’ to impose a court order.

Today, a former neighbour of the Law family said: ‘The little girl always seemed to toddle around all right. So we were surprised when we saw her in the wheelchair at other times, we just thought at first she could walk but not very far.

‘They said they were taking her to hospital in Sheffield for treatment.

‘Neither of them worked. but they always had plenty of money. All the kids had laptops.

‘They had all the gear – computers and TVs and what have you.

‘She had a car. I am not sure if she got that off benefits too. It was a big people carrier – it had to be big to get all the kids in.’

Another neighbour added: ‘It is great isn’t it? How to con people. Martin used to work at Tesco warehouse but packed it in and they were living off benefits.’