AN odd job man who plundered thousand of pounds from a pensioner’s bank account has been warned he is facing a jail term.
Stuart Fahey, whose former wife Tracy Moore also cleaned for the 76-year-old, went with her when she visited the victim’s Highworth home.
The 46-year-old then repeatedly took the man’s card to go to a cash machine and withdraw money for himself. And when the pensioner’s daughter realised cash was being siphoned from the account they cancelled the card without telling anyone.
Days later the couple went to a cash machine and Fahey tried to make another withdrawal only for the card to be swallowed.
But in the 14 months he had been helping himself to the man’s money he had taken £11,650 in 48 visits, Swindon Crown Court was told.
Fahey, of Milston Avenue, Penhill, pleaded guilty to one count of theft between October 2014 and December last year.
Moore, 42, of Ulysses Road, Oakhurst, pleaded not guilty to the charge and prosecutors said they would not seek a trial against her.
Mark Ashley, for the Crown, said that Moore had been cleaning for the man for about six years, while Fahey had done occasional odd jobs for him.
He said that although there was some CCTV footage from the cash machine visit where the card was swallowed, but it did not show who was using it.
As a result when Fahey said he would plead guilty a decision was made by the Crown Prosecution Service not to continue with a case against Moore.
He said: “Those instructing me have considered the evidence, considered whether to proceed against Miss Moore. They have decided not to proceed.
“There is some CCTV, it doesn’t show who was using the cash machine. Both were present. Nothing links Miss Moore.”
Sam Arif, representing Moore, said: “To add a bit more to my learned friend’s comments about Miss Moore, there is CCTV that shows the two of them going towards the cash point.
“There is a three-minute delay between each using it. Miss Moore uses it withdrawing £5 from her bank account. The next transaction, when the card is swallowed up, that is three minutes apart. Miss Moore always maintained her innocence.
“As a result of all of this she has lost all of her work in the Highworth area where she cleaned, looking after a lot of vulnerable people.
"She has lost reputation, she has lost income. If Your Honour had heard this at trial you would have heard a lot of character references.”
Nick Fridd, for Fahey, said: “He is adamant she didn’t know anything about it.”
He asked for the case to be adjourned so a pre-sentence report can be prepared, who realised he faced a jail term.
The court heard that in November 2013 he was put on a suspended sentence for making a false representation to make gains which was still in force when he started offending.
Judge Tim Mousley QC adjourned the case to Friday, November 4, and released him on bail until then and left he theft charge against Moore to lie on file.
He told Fahey: “You have heard the exchanges this morning and you will be in no doubt that the likelihood is you will be dealt with by way of an immediate custodial sentence.”
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