A son helped himself to thousands of pounds of his elderly mother's money and cancelled direct debits for her sheltered accommodation leaving her on the verge of eviction.
In total, 67-year-old Alun Davies stole £20,000 from his mum's pension and benefit payments, and left her more than £40,000 in debt for her housing.
Swansea Crown Court heard Davies has a history of offences of forgery, fraud and thefts, and also hid a £72,000 inheritance from his wife while spending years pretending he worked as a teacher.
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Sending him to prison, a judge described his offending against his mother - a woman in her 90s who is unable to manage her own finances - as "despicable", and said the defendant had a "streak of dishonesty" in him.
The court heard that in 2017 concerns were raised by medics and staff at Swansea Council about the victim's financial position, and her ability to manage money.
Jim Davis, prosecuting, said the woman owed social housing provider Gwalia £4,352 for her accommodation in Gorseinon, and the local authority was also owed a substantial sum - almost £7,000. As a result of the money she owed, the woman was facing eviction from her sheltered accommodation.
The council tried to speak to Davies about his mother's situation without success, and the police were later contacted.
The court heard the defendant sent a series of evasive and untruthful emails to the council and police to try to explain away the situation, including ones purporting to be from his wife but about which she knew nothing. Attempts were made to arrange a voluntary interview with Davies but he provided a range of excuses about what he could not attend, including one where he claimed he had to go to London for a medical appointment.
Mr Davis said the defendant was eventually arrested, and told officers: "I'll be totally honest with you."
The court heard Davies had received an inheritance of £72,000 in 2013 which he had not told his wife and children about, and over the following three years had withdrawn and spent it all. He told officers that for nine years between 2009 and 2018 he had told his family he was working as a special needs teacher in Carmarthen when in fact he had not been working at all.
Davies admitted withdrawing money from his mother's Post Office account - a mix of her benefits and British Steel pension - and said he would give her around £120 every couple of weeks for food and hair appointments. In total he stole £20,000 over the course of almost two years. Davies also admitted cancelling the direct payments for his mum's accommodation, something which had put her at risk of eviction. The prosecutor said the defendant told officers he felt "awful" at the prospect of his mother losing her home but when asked what he had done about the situation he remained silent.
The court heard that Swansea Council had stepped in to ensure Davies' mother did not, in fact, lose her home but the woman was still in debt in the sum of £41,200.
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Davies, of Middle Road, Ravenhill, Swansea, admitted fraud by abuse of position. The court heard he had repeatedly failed to attend earlier court hearings and an arrest warrant was issued - he has previously been sentenced to seven days in prison for breach of bail in relation to those matters.
Davies has three previous convictions for dishonesty offences from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. In 1977 he was convicted of forgery after faking letters from the Polytechnic of Wales in an attempt to be admitted into the Chartered Institute of Accountants; in 1985 he was convicted of theft and fraud after stealing money from St Thomas Parochial Church Council and St Thomas Church Dramatic Society; and in 1990 he was convicted of forgery and obtaining property by deception after submitting bogus expense claims and stealing money from clients at an accountancy firm where he worked.
David Singh, for Davies, accepted the offence involved a significant breach of trust. He said the defendant had a supportive family, and his wife and children were keen that he get the help he obviously needed regardless of what sentence the court may impose. The barrister said the defendant's wife was in a position to pay back the money her husband had stolen from his mother.
Judge Huw Rees described the defendant's conduct towards his elderly and vulnerable mother as "despicable", and said he had left a "devastating trial of lies" behind him. He told Davies he had abused his position of trust and power over his mother for his own personal gain, and there was a "streak of dishonesty" about him.
With a 15% discount for his guilty plea Davies was sentenced to a total of three years in prison. The defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective constable Joanne Pudner, the officer in case, said: "This exploitation of an elderly, vulnerable woman in her time of need truly show the unscrupulous nature of Mr Davies' crimes, and I'm glad that today’s sentence means that he has been brought to justice.
“The Client Property and Finance Unit of Swansea local authority that made the complaint on behalf of the victim and are now acting in her best interest to pay back the outstanding debt. This is a perfect example of how partners can work together to keep people safe, and bring perpetrators to justice."
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