Identity thief jailed for bank swindle

A thief who stole the identities of two Wolverhampton men and tried to swindle almost £60,000 from banks and building societies has been jailed for two years.

Sunmuk Patel convinced Coventry Building Society to give him a mortgage extension totalling £40,000 while posing as the husband of the woman with whom he was having an affair, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told. He also used a doctor's credit card to withdraw £2,000.

The 39-year-old, of St Marks Road, Chapel Ash, used the cash on spending sprees in the city and also tried to convince Barclays Bank, in Queen Square, to give him a £15,000 loan in the name of one of the victims.

John Evans, prosecuting, said in April 2005, Patel, or someone on his behalf, phoned Barclays Bank pretending to be a Mr Singh and said he wanted to take out a loan of £15,000.

A worker became suspicious and staff then called police who arrested Patel.

A few months later, Mr Evans told how Patel phoned Coventry Building Society again pretending to be Mr Singh and asked for money for an extension to the house, the court heard.

A total of £20,000 was transferred to Mr Singh's account which his wife Rita Chohan, said to be Patel's mistress, withdrew, it was claimed. She was said to have done the same after the bank transferred a further £20,000. Mr Evans said the last fraud involved the Visa card of a Dr Mwokolo who lived in Wolverhampton.

Patel phoned The Royal Bank of Scotland in May 2006 posing as the doctor and claiming he had lost his Visa card.

Mr Evans said: "We say it was stolen from the post box by the defendant by forcing the door and damaging the lock."

Patel visited HSBC bank in Wolverhampton over the next four days, each time drawing out £500. He also bought items on the card.

Oliver Woolhouse, defending, said Patel did not benefit from the £40,000 transferred to Mr Singh's account and claimed Rita Chohan had also been involved.

Patel admitted two charges of obtaining money by deception, five thefts, seven charges of obtaining property by deception and charges of using a false instrument and obtaining property by deception. Judge Michael Dudley said he was a "thoroughly dishonest man".