A woman stole £25,000 from a man who mistakenly transferred money into bank account while attempting to pay for a motorhome. The theft led to the victim losing his job and home and left him feeling suicidal.
Catherine Thomas, 59, of Porthcawl, callously refused to repay money which had accidentally been sent to her account by Mark Morgan on May 11, 2021. She moved the money to a savings account which prevented the bank from retrieving the sum and they were only able to claw back £307.
She then spent the money on paying off her own debts as well as paying for holidays, clothes, and home refurbishments for her four children and 12 grandchildren. But Mr Morgan lost his employment and home after was unable to pay off a debt he had taken off to pay back to his employers who had given him the money to buy the motorhome.
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A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Mr Morgan was in contact with a seller in Leeds and agreed to purchase a motorhome for £32,000. He paid a £2,500 deposit and a further £5,000 before travelling to Leeds on May 11 to conclude the sale.
But when he attempted to transfer the remaining £25,000 to the seller he mistakenly transferred the money to Thomas – from whom he had previously purchased a caravan. Prosecutor Bethan Evans told the court the victim notified his bank straightaway but was told they were unable to retrieve the money.
Thomas, of Suffolk Close, was interviewed by police and claimed she believed she had won the money in one of a number of competitions she had entered. She was said to have "put her head in the sand" and had spent the money. The defendant later pleaded guilty to theft and the court heard she has six previous convictions with the latest for an offence of violence in 2016.
In a victim personal statement read out to the court Mr Morgan detailed the devastating effect the theft has had and said he was left considering taking his own life. He said: "With one act of deception Catherine Thomas has destroyed my life. £25,000 is a life-changing amount of money but it was not mine – it belonged to my employer. It was transferred to me as an act of trust by my employer...
"From the moment I realised what had happened I felt sick to my stomach and frantically contacted the bank to retrieve the money. Due to the large amount of money I thought Catherine Thomas would obviously think it had been a mistake but when I was told the money was no longer in her account apart from £307 it was devastating.
"I was in shock and filled with emotions, anger, and upset about how someone could do that to another person. I was desperate. I felt responsible to my employers and felt I had let them down after they put a great deal of trust on me."
Mr Morgan said he had to take a loan out for £25,000 in order to pay his employers back and was dismissed from his company in June 2021. He said: "I felt like a criminal and had dishonestly appropriated the funds – my reputation had been tarnished. Everything spiralled from this point and because I lost my job I could no longer afford to pay my bills.
"I have been homeless and living out of a van and feel like I have lost everything and I am at breaking point. My debt is piling up and I used the last of my savings to make three payments but I can no longer repay amounts. I can't claim benefits and I have no money so I'm trying to find new employment. My credit history has been destroyed.
"I feel suicidal and don't know how much more I can take. I have contemplated taking my own life... I have lost trust and faith in people. I am constantly thinking about what happened and until it's resolved it will consume me on a daily basis. I cannot eat and have lost four stone. I now describe myself as an anxious person and my anxiety is through the roof. Until I am out of this hell I won't realise the full extent of my suffering."
In mitigation Rebecca Griffiths said her client had not lived a "lavish lifestyle" with the money she had stolen and had spent it on "a close network of family members". It was claimed by the defendant she had telephoned the bank and was told: "If the money is in your account it's your money." This was disputed by Recorder Andrew Hammond who said there was no proof for this claim.
Ms Griffiths said Thomas has offered to pay £40 a month over the next two years to Mr Morgan but she is in receipt of disability benefit and has a £5,000 debt. She said the defendant has a mental disorder and learning difficulties and has PTSD after her child and grandchild's home was affected by a gas explosion.
Sentencing, Recorder Hammond told the defendant: "This is a salutary case that shows how a moment's inattention while using a mobile banking app, the sort of mistake anyone might make, can have devastating and life-changing consequences. I am in no doubt it would have been obvious to you that money was not yours....
"You knew that money was not yours. You displayed wilful blindness to the fact it was not yours and told yourself it was instead competition winnings. That was a lie that you found impossible to resist."
Thomas was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months. She was ordered to carry out a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and to pay compensation of £1,000 to Mr Morgan.
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