'Sherlock' Actor Jailed For False Claims Of £72,000 In Benefits

The Welshman has also appeared in 'Casualty' and 'Torchwood'.

An actor who has appeared in a string of BBC hit shows, including ‘Sherlock’, ‘Casualty’ and ‘Torchwood’ has been jailed for fraudulently claiming £72,000 in benefits.

John Lewis, from Barry in South Wales was jailed for 20 weeks, in sentence for receiving disability allowance, income support and pension credit over the past eight years.

As well as being a BBC regular, he also appeared in ‘The Cafe’ for Sky, where he was spotted on screen “walking or skipping across the road”.

Despite his regular employment, Lewis had claimed he was unfit for work. Outside Cardiff Crown Court, he told reporters he had “behaved like an idiot”.

‘Sherlock’ returns to our screens in the new year.

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The Best Sherlock Holmes Of All Time
1939 - Basil Rathbone(01 of11)
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1959 - Christopher Lee(02 of11)
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2010 - Benedict Cumberbatch(03 of11)
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1977 - Christopher Plummer(04 of11)
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2015 - Sir Ian McKellen(05 of11)
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(credit:BBC Films/Allstar Picture Library)
1984 - Jeremy Brett(06 of11)
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2012 - Jonny Lee Miller (07 of11)
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(credit:BBC America)
2009 - Robert Downey Jr(08 of11)
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1976 - Roger Moore(09 of11)
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2004 - Rupert Everett(10 of11)
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(credit:BBC)
1983 - Tom Baker(11 of11)
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(credit:REX)