A convicted fraudster who secretly used a woman’s credit card and took out new ones in her name has been ordered to pay back more than £17,000.
Mark David Freeman, 53, of Verwood, was convicted on 18 August 2014 at Bournemouth Crown Court of 16 counts of fraud by false representation.
The court heard that Freeman had secretly been using the woman’s credit cards and had taken out new ones in her name and her son’s name. In total, he had spent £21,730.52.
The fraud was discovered when the victim found letters from the banks regarding applications Freeman had made in her name.
When the victim confronted Freeman he fled but was later arrested by officers.
Freeman appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday 8 September 2014 and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.
At the hearing, a confiscation order was made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 after investigators discovered that Freeman had inherited a large quantity of money from his Aunt’s estate following her death in January 2014.
They found £17,497.06 in his bank account and this was restrained by the court.
On Friday 21 August 2015, the full amount seized from Freeman’s bank account was confiscated.
Detective Sergeant Andrew Kennard, of Dorset Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said, “Freeman’s victim will be fully reimbursed for her loss and the banks will receive approximately 75 per cent of their losses.
“If Freeman comes into further assets in the future, we can seek to apply to the courts again for the full amount of the order which will compensate the banks with the remaining 25 per cent.
“We will take every available opportunity to deprive criminals of their illegal gain to directly compensate victims of crime, ensuring offenders are held to account and victims are put first.
“We hope this sends out a clear message to offenders that they will be dealt with through the courts and forced to pay for their crimes.”
A custody photo of the defendant Mark David Freeman
