THE agoraphobic mother of reality TV star Kerry Katona left her house for the first time in two years yest- erday – to be sentenced for benefit fraud.
Susan Katona, 48, who has a crippling fear of open spaces, claimed she had little income or capital despite having in excess of £46,000 in the bank, Runcorn Magistrates’ Court heard.
Katona, of Dickenson Street, Warrington, who also suffers from clinical depression, walked free from court with a conditional discharge saying: "I need a cigarette, I need a cigarette."
Outside court, dressed in a light purple suit, she said her famous daughter had not spoken to her about the case, and said: "This started out as a legitimate claim and it was an innocent mistake."
