Shameless beggar who told people he was homeless despite living rent free in a council house for 14 years and raking in £900 a month in benefits is slapped with a £150 fine Roy Finch, 41, used props such as blankets to pretend he was homeless in York The beggar lives rent free and claims £900 per month in benefits, court told Finch fined £150, plus £256 prosecution costs and a £30 surcharge By Zoie O'brien For Mailonline Published: 20:24 GMT, 31 January 2019 | Updated: 11:47 GMT, 1 February 2019 37 shares 23 Viewcomments Roy Finch, has been convicted of begging in York A shameless beggar who told people he was homeless has been living rent free in a council house for 14 years and rakes in £900 a month in benefits. Roy Finch, 41, used props such as a sleeping bag, rucksack and even a book to convince passers-by he slept rough on a river bank. He threw his sleeping bag into a river and stalked off in a huff when a policeman told him off for claiming to be penniless. Magistrates in York were told the layabout lived in a council house for 14 years and gets hundreds of pounds a month in state benefits. He was up in court before Christmas for two offences of begging and was let off with a conditional discharged. This time he was stung with a £436 legal bill including fines of £150, plus £256 prosecution costs and a £30 surcharge. Ironically, he was not done for begging but admitted breaching the previous order by disposing of items in a way likely to pollute the River Ouse. The court heard that as well as living in a house in Thief Lane, York, at the tax payers' expense, he also claims employment support allowance. Prosecutor Victoria Waudby said he had a sleeping bag, rucksack and book with him as he bothered passing pedestrians on Ouse Bridge on September 28 at 2.40pm. A police community support officer gave him a ticking off about passing himself off as homeless when he was not. Finch picked up the sleeping bag, rucksack and book and threw them in the river, Ms Waudby said. 'The defendant then went away swearing. 'The items in the river were dangerous to river users, particularly as the sleeping bag was in an open state at the time and could have caused an accident.' Asked if he wanted to say anything, Finch told the court: 'I would rather not.' The shameless beggar pretended to be homeless neat to the River Ouse and Lendal bridge in York, last year After this prosecution by York Council, Councillor Jenny Brooks said: 'This person lied as he begged by claiming to be homeless when in fact he had a home. 'No-one need beg in York as we can help those in need. 'To be certain that any money you wish to give goes to help those in genuine need, we have a cashless giving scheme. 'It is administered by the Two Ridings Foundation and ensures that the money given goes to those in ways that will help them into safer more stable lives.' Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility