Interesting question from the House of Lords committee looking into fraud, which accounts for around 42% of all crime.
“We want to know what you think about sanctions and penalties for fraudsters. Are they tough enough?” it asks on Twitter.
Among the frauds I regularly highlight is the particularly nasty category of those committed by carers against the very people they should be looking after, and the following case may illustrate my view on the subject.
Gemma Day defrauded a couple with dementia who asked carers to do their shopping, handing over a bank card and PIN.
Day, a 30-year-old single mother of four from Sheerness, Kent, used it to routinely withdrew £250 for herself.
She and an unnamed accomplice netted £12,000 in total.
Last September she pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position, getting a one-year jail sentence that was suspended, and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Now she’s been back at Maidstone Crown Court for a confiscation hearing, which resulted in an order to repay just £1, because she’s unemployed with no assets.
“I am entirely satisfied this defendant cannot afford to pay compensation, much as I would like to make an order given the frankly horrific nature of the offence,” Judge Robert Lazarus said.
So the result of defrauding a couple who are so sick they could not even make a victim impact statement is that she has not spent a day behind bars and must repay one quid.
Gemma Day is not an isolated case. Just before Christmas I wrote about a bunch of thieving care workers here. So, no, I do not think that sanctions against fraudsters are tough enough.
Your can reply to the Lords fraud committee call for evidence here. It is particularly keen to receive submissions from victims of fraud.
investigate@mirror.co.uk
