Son Betrays Trust and Embezzles Mother's Life Savings
A 68-year-old man from West Lothian has been sent to prison for nearly three years after systematically stealing almost half a million pounds from his own mother, who suffered from dementia. Richard Sneddon from Dechmont admitted to embezzling approximately £450,000 from his mother Dorothy over a devastating 12-year period between January 2008 and May 2020.
Systematic Theft Under Power of Attorney
The court heard how Sneddon was granted power of attorney over his mother's financial affairs when she began showing signs of early onset dementia. Instead of protecting her interests, he used this legal authority to siphon off her life savings and stock market investments. Livingston Sheriff Court was told that Mrs Sneddon eventually passed away in a care home, completely unaware that her son had been stealing from her throughout her final years.
Prosecutor Chris Yule explained that Sneddon, along with his sister Elizabeth and brother David, had each been due to receive £50,000 from their mother's estate. Numerous other close relatives were also in line for smaller inheritances of either £10,000 or £3,000 each. None of these payouts were possible because the money had disappeared.
Gambling Addiction Revealed as Dark Secret
The theft only came to light when Sneddon's daughter became frustrated by a seven-month delay in receiving her inheritance and offered to help him with the will administration. It was during this process in July 2021 that Sneddon made the shocking confession to his daughter that there was no money left and he had gambled it all away.
Sneddon's lawyer, Alan Jackson, described his client's gambling addiction as a dark secret that didn't really come to light until this point. He told the court that Sneddon had been struggling with this addiction for many years and ultimately admitted his crimes with encouragement from his children.
Passing sentence at Livingston Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Sheriff Susan Craig told Sneddon that the significant breach of trust, the lengthy duration of the offending, and the enormous amount stolen meant that only a custodial sentence was appropriate. She stated that the correct sentence would have been three years, but this was reduced to 28 months due to his guilty plea.
Sheriff Craig emphasized that multiple family members and charities had been deprived of their intended inheritances because of Sneddon's actions. The Crown has been instructed to lodge a statement of claim for confiscation under proceeds of crime legislation, with a hearing scheduled in three months.
