Callous grandson in £3,000 fraud avoids jail term
A grandson who left his grandparents with just £90 in their bank account after taking more than £3,000 by forging cheques in their name has been spared jail.
Joseph Carter, aged 21, from Willenhall Road, Wolverhampton, had taken £3,100 from his grandparents' account by forging their signatures on seven different cheques cashed between last August and September.
Wolverhampton magistrates heard how Carter's actions had left his grandparents, who had 'looked after him since he was a child', with just £90 in their main bank account, before he was caught out by bank staff who noticed a dodgy signature on a cheque for £7,000 that he and an accomplice had attempted to cash in.
Carter's accomplice, Sophie Sutton, 19, was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, pay £1,250 in compensation and a £60 surcharge after being sentenced in July, while a psychological report was carried out on Carter's state of mental health.
Prosecuting solicitor Amar Sangara, reading from a victim statement detailing how Carter's grandparents felt, said: "Mr Carter's grandfather said the whole ordeal has left him very upset, he is shocked he would do this after everything the couple have done for him.
"They have looked after him since he was a child in terms of giving him gifts, taking him on holidays, letting him stay with them when he needs to, helping him with money problems, even feeding and clothing him.
"They say that it is fortunate they had other savings to fall back on or else they wouldn't have been able to pay their bills or buy food. His grandmother said he has absolutely broken her heart."
Carter, who represented himself in court, said he had nothing to say. He had previously pleaded guilty to eight charges of fraud by false representation.
District Judge Graham Wilkinson sentenced Carter to a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months. He said: "This was motivated by greed and you will appreciate this is a serious crime you have pleaded guilty to. You will also appreciate how much you have let your grandparents down.It is an absolute breach of trust."
The court heard that Lloyds Bank had reimbursed Carter's grandparents for the money they had lost.
