A GAMBLING addict who stole almost £4,000 from his elderly friend will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after magistrates decided that their powers were likely to be insufficient.
Magistrates sitting in Llanelli Law Courts on Thursday (Jul 12) heard that 47-year-old Paul Smith had stolen debit cards from his victim – a man in his seventies – and made a series of cash withdrawals over a three-day period.
Smith, of Clos y Deri, Carmarthen, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft.
Prosecuting, Lisa Jones told the court that 11 withdrawals had been made from three accounts, totalling £3,800.
When the matter was reported to the police, the complainant told officers that Smith had carried out a number of odd jobs for him, and before the cards were taken had made several trips to the recycling centre in his car. CCTV footage from the cashpoints showed a man identified as Smith making the withdrawals.
When Smith was arrested, he asked if the victim ‘was aware’ before saying that he took the money because he was ‘struggling’.
£1,500 in cash was recovered from Smith’s house, meaning that the complainant was still £2,300 out of pocket.
In a police interview, Smith said that he had met the complainant in a pub around 10 years previously, and did odd jobs for him. That week, they had made several trips to the recycling centre in his car, and Smith stole the wallet for ‘a couple of days’.
Adding that he was ‘totally responsible’ for the thefts, Smith said that he had a serious gambling addiction and spent all his benefits on this.
He admitted that, had the police not intervened, he would have spent the rest of the money.
Ms Jones told the court that, while the victim said that it was ‘a substantial amount’ of money to him, he was happy that Smith had accepted responsibility and shown remorse.
“He trusted this defendant, and this is how that trust has been repaid,” she remarked.
Smith will be sentenced in Swansea Crown Court and was released on bail until his sentencing date, on condition that he has no contact with the complainant.
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