Gambling Addict has Fleeced Girlfriend of More Than £10,000

A gambling addict who fleeced his girlfriend out of more than £10,000 was spared jail but ordered to compensate her.

Jonathan Richards, 35, withdrew money from his partner’s bank account using her bank card and took out credit cards in her name without her permission or knowledge. He ran up bills totalling thousands of pounds, leaving the victim with high debt and causing her credit score to plummet.

The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court recently.

Richards successfully applied for two credit cards in his unaware girlfriend's name and spent £8,900 using them. He used her card to withdraw amounts between £50 and £450 and transferred cash from her accounts to a payday loan company from October to December 2014.

When confronted, he admitted taking the money but claimed he had paid it back, prosecutor Shaun Dryden stated.

Confession and Arrest

The couple broke up in February 2015, two months after the last transactions. Richards, of High Church Wynd, Yarm, wrote to his ex-girlfriend confessing his gambling problem and explaining that he applied for the cards to feed his addiction.

However, when arrested, he denied wrongdoing and claimed his girlfriend was aware of his activities and had given him permission to withdraw the money. He lied that she was sitting next to him when he applied for the credit cards online.

He later pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud. The court heard he had repaid £1,800.

Impact on the Victim

His crimes caused his former partner’s credit score to fall from excellent to poor, affecting her ability to obtain loans and a fixed-rate mortgage.

Richards also had previous convictions, including stealing some of his sister’s belongings from her home and pawning them.

The Defence

Julian Gaskin, defending Richards, said his client had been in a “desperate state” and was spending money simply on food. He had asked his defence to apologise for his actions.

Mr Gaskin continued that Richards was disgusted and ashamed of his behaviour, accepting it stemmed from denial about his gambling issue.

The court was told a traumatic incident in 2011 led to depression, two suicide attempts, and the gambling.

Mr Gaskin added that Richards now attends Gamblers Anonymous, lost his job but obtained employment in London earning about £1,000 per week.

Sentencing

Judge Stephen Ashurst told Richards there is obviously a degree of trust between partners, but he had broken it by defrauding her of substantial money she could ill afford to lose. As a result, his ex-girlfriend's situation has been badly impacted; her bad credit score prevents her from moving on with her life, and he is to blame.

The judge said gambling is a very difficult addiction to break. However, Richards ultimately admitted what he had done.

The judge considered prison but factored in his cooperation with police and full employment, deciding to “step back”.

Richards received a 15-month jail term suspended for two years and was ordered to pay £8,500 compensation plus £400 costs.