A former soldier who stole £21,000 from his father claimed some of the money was for Harley-Davidson bike parts when it was actually spent on heroin and crack cocaine.
Fraud uncovered
Robert Jones' niece became suspicious and took the victim to the bank, where the fraud was exposed. A sentencing at Caernarfon Crown Court on Tuesday heard there were bank transfers, cash withdrawals, and credit card payments from Robert's account between August 2023 and May 2024.
Joshua Gorst, prosecuting, told the court how Robert and Peter Jones, 45, had an "up and down" relationship but Robert let Jones stay at his house as Jones was his son. In summer 2023 Robert would give Jones cash to buy them food from Iceland in Caernarfon. He also asked Jones to use his Santander bank account but only for food.
Harley-Davidson parts excuse
By May 2024 Robert found £7,360 had been withdrawn from the bank account. Jones had also offered to buy Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts as his father had a bike. Robert took Jones to a Santander branch and a card was set up to use to pay for them. However some parts never arrived. Jones said they had had to come from America and were "delayed".
Over time Robert's bank balance was later found to be "dropping rapidly." Robert became suspicious and asked Peter to "shut the card down". Then in May 2024 Robert's niece Louise Jones found bank statements in Peter's name with daily payments to a Western Union bank account. She confronted Jones and he accepted he had taken his father's money.
Sentencing
Jones said he was disgusted and would repay his father from his benefits, the court heard. Robert's credit card had a balance of £4,569.84 and there had been regular withdrawals of £50 and £60. Some £9,201.70 had also been transferred from Robert's account to his son's account. Police were alerted. Officers found Santander bank statements in Jones' bedroom.
Richard Edwards, defending, said Jones feels "deep-rooted shame and embarrassment" and apologised for his behaviour. Jones had had a traumatic past then joined an Army engineers' unit. He took alcohol and heroin as respite but it became an "uncontrollable addiction". He left the Army but his partner of 18 years, who had mental health issues, died soon afterwards in 2005. This led to his own "emotional collapse". He relapsed into heroin and crack cocaine.
But he is on methadone and is reducing his intake, the court heard. He is also having bereavement counselling and is awaiting trauma counselling, said Mr Edwards. Judge Nicola Jones said some £21,000 had been taken from Robert's accounts by Jones to buy heroin and crack cocaine. But she noted Robert's family had been "dignified, kind, and forgiving". Sentencing Jones for three counts of fraud she imposed an 18-month jail term suspended for 18 months. She also ordered Jones to attend 20 days of rehabilitation activity.
