Son lived it up on mum’s life savings (From Swindon Advertiser)

Son lived it up on mum’s life savings

10:30pm Wednesday 17th March 2010

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A 36-YEAR-OLD man plundered tens of thousands of pounds of his elderly mum’s money to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Timothy Longstaff siphoned £40,000 from his 76-year-old mother’s bank account to live the high life, wooing his girlfriend at a five-star hotel in Paris and buying designer goods.

Now a judge has jailed him for his “gross breach of trust”.

At one stage, Longstaff, of Northern Road, Swindon, was withdrawing £300 in cash every day from his disabled mum’s account to fund his high-class habits.

Yvette Longstaff only found out about her son’s deceit in late 2008 when the bank contacted her about the large amounts leaving her account.

And it wasn’t until officers investigated that they found Longstaff had cheated his mum out of another £24,000 by telling her she was investing in a courier business – which he never set up.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Mrs Longstaff suffered from disabilities.

She said Longstaff had been her carer for a number of years and, as a result, was in control of her finances and had access to her bank accounts.

Mrs Longstaff told the police she had not give her son permission to take the cash and, because she trusted him, she had not checked the balance.

Miss Squire said police spoke to one of Longstaff’s former girlfriends, who said that when they were together, he was “free and easy” with his money.

He lavished gifts on her, which included a Dolce and Gabbana watch, and took her to Paris where they stayed in a five-star hotel. They also travelled around the UK staying in hotels.

“That lifestyle was being funded by the money being taken on a daily basis from his mother’s bank account,” said Miss Squire.

When Longstaff was questioned, he told police his mother was aware of what was going on, and that she had complained that his relationship with his girlfriend meant he was devoting less time to her.

Longstaff admitted theft and deception totalling more than £64,000.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client had been caring for his mum and used her money to care for the two of them.

But as time went on, he said, he started to take advantage of the situation and spent the money on himself in a way he should not have.

“He is a man who is ashamed of what he has done,” he told the court.

Jailing him, Judge Charles Wade said: “Frankly, you frittered the money away.”

He added: “This was a gross breach of trust. She placed complete reliance in you to look after her money for her, so much so that it was only when the bank made contact with her and told her what was going on with her bank account that she knew what was going on.”

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