Despicable Newcastle fraudster conned neighbour, 87, out of £15,000 to place hundreds of bets
David Foreman, whose parents were trusted to help out the Newcastle pensioner, has been jailed for burgling and defrauding him
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveDespicable David Foreman betrayed his elderly neighbour by conning him out of almost £15,000 by using his bank card to place 1,590 bets.
Scheming Foreman was living with his parents next door to the victim and his mum had been helping the pensioner out for years. While his mum and dad had shown the 87-year-old pensioner nothing but kindness, Foreman decided to prey on him.
When things started to go missing, the victim's grandson set up cameras inside and outside the house in Newcastle. When he reviewed the footage from February 21, he saw Foreman had gone in and was recorded sneaking around the living room, searching a jacket pocket and looking in drawers.
He then appeared to notice the camera, at which point he went into the kitchen and made the victim aware he was there. He told the pensioner, who had not given him permission to be in his house, that he had lost his job and was struggling.
Foreman's mother said he had asked her that day if she wanted him to take the victim his paper but she told him she would do it. She said her son had no reason to go there.
Newcastle Crown Court heard it later became clear Foreman, 36, had also defrauded the victim before the burglary.
The victim had been contacted by his bank at the beginning of February due to suspicious activity on his account, which had been used on gambling sites. He found his bank card in the house but he didn't using betting websites.
However 1,590 transactions had been made on such sites with his card details over a month and £14,921 had been taken from his account in unauthorised transactions
Judge Gavin Doig told him: "The fraud is a calculated offence. The number of times you used his bank card is simply staggering. 1,590 times over the course of 30 days - that means you used the card to commit fraud 50 times a day for 30 consecutive days."
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Foreman said he "had been in a bad place", was addicted to cocaine and had taken advantage of his neighbour by using his card details, having taken a picture of his bank card.
The pensioner said in a victim impact statement that he has lived alone for ten years and has tried to remain independent but due to a decline in his mobility he has had to entrust people to help him. He added: "I feel shocked and violated David has taken advantage of that trust. It's placed a great deal of stress on the friendship I've built with his mother."
He continued: "To discover my savings had been stolen is very upsetting, I find myself becoming emotional. The breach of trust has put such sadness in my latter years."
Foreman, latterly of Westgate Court, Newcastle, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to burglary and fraud and was jailed for three years. He was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim.
The court heard the betting companies reimbursed the pensioner.
Ian Hudson, defending, said Foreman was depressed and unemployed and added: "He has shown genuine remorse." The court heard he was ashamed and has taken steps to address his drug use.
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