Prestatyn,North Wales - Woman found guilty of frittering away tens of thousands of pounds of her father's finances

Published date: 02 February 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A 55-year-old woman accused of misusing her control over her elderly father's finances to drain his savings and "fritter away" tens of thousands of pounds was convicted of fraud on Friday.

Thelma Jakes, of Prestatyn, was accused of abusing her power of attorney to use £57,000 for the benefit of herself and others.

She was bailed for a pre-sentence report after being convicted by a jury of three charges and cleared of a fourth.

Caernarfon crown court was told her brother James Wheat wrote a letter to her in which he claimed she had "screwed" him about having joint power of attorney over their father's financial affairs.

Prosecutor David Mainstone said Mr Wheat wrote to his sister :"I have a great deal of concern about how dad's affairs are being managed."

Mr Wheat alleged that Jakes had allowed strangers to live in the father's house free of charge and she had the property re-wired when the late widower was living with her. Jakes had changed the locks to the house, using the excuse that the door was sticking, but wouldn't give her brother a key to the family home, the letter went on.

Mr Wheat, who contacted the Office of the Public Guardian, had described his sister as "unapproachable" about the finances.

Mr Mainstone said Jakes had replied that her brother sent a "threatening" letter and added :"My conscience is clear."

Jakes, of Highbury Avenue, Prestatyn, denied four counts of fraud.

The prosecutor said the main count was between February 2010 and June 2012. 'It's a single charge to cover a course of conduct," Mr Mainstone remarked. The other three charges were specific examples involving spending more than £6,000 on a new kitchen for her own home, unlawful expenditure on car repairs of which she was cleared, and crediting a credit card which she then used.

"She had very little to show for all the money she withdrew or transferred," Mr Mainstone had told the jury. "The money was frittered away on unnecessary spending."

The prosecutor said Jakes's father, also called James Wheat, died in 2013 aged 87. He had two surviving children. In 2009 it became apparent that his mental health was deteriorating.

Mr Mainstone said James Wheat junior discussed with his sister the possibility of taking out joint power of attorney to safeguard their father's financial affairs. But it seemed she arranged for her father to see a solicitor without consulting her brother further and "acted dishonestly in helping herself to her father's money".

The son was "increasingly marginalised" from his father's life.

Jakes, the prosecution added, had denied to police "taking advantage" of her father's money and insisted he would benefit from spending including on the kitchen.

see-http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/158053/prestatyn-woman-found-guilty-of-frittering-away-tens-of-thousands-of-pounds-of-her-father-s-finances.aspx