Stroud man stole more than £50,000 from vulnerable pensioner

A Stroud man stole more than £50,000 of savings from a vulnerable pensioner, a court has heard.

Peter Bond, aged 75 and of Hunters Way, Cashes Green, appeared at Swindon Crown Court last week (Thursday 15 January) for sentencing.

He had been found guilty at an earlier four-day trial of one count of fraud by abuse of position between April 2016 and December 2020.

The court heard that Bond was in a relationship with the daughter of Brian Woollett.

Her elderly father lived in a private care facility in Cirencester and in April 2016, he agreed to let Bond manage his finances, giving Bond access to his current account, cheque book, debit card and internet banking.

In December 2020, the victim's grandson raised concerns after being asked by his grandfather to sell his car in order to purchase a funeral insurance policy.

He was able to obtain his grandfather's bank statements and saw that transactions of more than £30,000 had been made by Bond. He confronted Bond, who told him that the victim had consented to him using the money as if it were his own.

Following this, Bond was asked to move out by his partner, and he was reported to Gloucestershire Constabulary.

After an investigation by the Economic Crime Team, it was found that Bond had made a financial gain of £52,391.27 by skimming the account. The money had been spent on funding his lifestyle.

He was subsequently charged with fraud by abuse of position.

Bond was given a two year prison sentence, suspended for two years. His victim died in June 2023 aged 89, without knowing the outcome of this case.  

In a Victim Personal Statement which was seen by the court, the grandson said: "The impact of this crime was profound. It left a proud man anxious, embarrassed that this could have happened to him and deeply ashamed to have been a victim to this crime. The loss of his financial security and his independence caused him ongoing emotional pain and deprived him of the peace and security he had worked so hard for and should have had in his final years.

"The wider harm to the family has been devastating. My grandfather spent the end of his life in distress and uncertainty, with reduced control of his care pathway due to the crime, this has caused deep and enduring grief.

"My grandfather deserved dignity, security and peace in his final years. Instead, he was left distressed and without the financial stability he and my grandmother had worked their entire lives to achieve. The harm he suffered has left a lasting impact on his family. It is with sincere regret that he did not live to see justice done."

Speaking after the sentence, the victim's family added: "We are grateful to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service for the diligent work they have done in bringing this matter before the court.

"While nothing can undo what Brian and the family experienced, it is the hope of the family that these proceedings raise awareness of such incidents to encourage vigilance and to put transparent support networks in place to prevent similar incidents when family members are in need of support."

PSI Chakraborty, from the Economic Crime Team which lead the investigation, said: "Bond was entrusted by Brian Woollett to manage his finances during the final years of his life. Due to his age and declining health, Brian realised that he needed someone to safeguard his money and ensure that his bills were paid.

"Bond abused that trust, instead using Brian’s life savings as his own, funding a lifestyle beyond his means such as buying a personalised number plate for his car and attending the Silverstone Grand Prix.

"Bond committed a despicable crime against a vulnerable man who trusted him. Sadly, Brian did not live to see his abuser convicted, however this result has brought justice to his family, who were understandably distraught by what happened.  

"I would like to thank all the witnesses who provided evidence to help the prosecution's case. I would also like to extend thanks to our partners at the Crown Prosecution Service who presented a compelling case to the jury.

"This conviction has demonstrated Gloucestershire Constabulary's dedication to pursuing justice for financial crime committed within our communities."