A WOMAN worked illegally after using a friend's identity in order to get a job with a nursing agency.

Mum-of-three Khaladi Gwetyana wanted to save cash to pay for legal costs to fight the case for her eldest daughter to remain in the UK.

So she borrowed a pal's passport, telling her she wanted it as a reference and used it in order to obtain work with two nursing agencies, starting in 2018.

Bolton Crown Court heard how 41-year-old Gwetyana earned a total of £10,000 before immigration authorities raided her home in Cross Street, Farnworth in April 2019.

Andrew Evans, prosecuting, told how documents showing the fraud she had committed, were found at the property.

Gwetyana pleaded guilty to fraud by making false representation to gain employment with Triple D Nursing and Homecare Ltd between June 5 and October 26, 2018 and Nurseplus Recruitment Agency between September 11, 2108 and April 22, 2019.

Daniel Prowse, defending, told how Gwetyana had come to the UK after fleeing violence in her native South Africa.

But while her claim for asylum was refused she was allowed to remain in the country as her children were under age.

Due to her legal status she was not allowed to work and Mr Prowse told the court that she had only £140 a week in food and clothing vouchers.

"It is an astonishingly low amount to be expected to raise three children on," said Mr Prowse.

"What she did was work and did a job very few people in this country are willing to do. She did it well and was paid for that service. The fraud relates solely to saying she was someone she wasn't."

He added that, as her eldest child was nearing aged 18, she was concerned about their immigration status when they became an adult.

"In addition to earning money for spending on her children, one of the main reasons she felt compelled to try and earn some money was it was apparent that when her daughter turned 18 she was going to have commence her own application to remain in the UK and there would need to be some money for that," he said.

"So was saving to provide for solicitors' fees for her daughter to try and not get her sent back to South Africa where she has no family.

"This was as far as it could possibly be from of a case of someone trying to line their own pockets in order to live a luxurious lifestyle."

Judge Graeme Smith sentenced Gwetyana to a 12 month community order during which she must participate in 20 days of rehabilitation activities and undertake 50 hours of unpaid work.

"The only reason you are before the court today is because you pretended to be someone else," he told her.

"You were provided with very limited financial resources upon which you attempted to bring up your family.

"It seems to me, this is a crime where the only victim is the lady who was your friend. That friendship has now been broken because you abused the trust she had given you.

"There is no other victim in the sense that you did the work that you were employed to do, the companies that employed you simply thought you were someone else and somebody with a right to do that work.

"There is no suggestion that you did that work badly. There is no suggestion that anyone was put at risk by you doing that work. There is no suggestion that anyone else was not able to obtain a job because you did it.

"It is a rather unusual case. It is quite clear to me that a custodial sentence is neither required nor warranted."