Hanham man ordered to pay £75k after fraud offence

A financial adviser from Hanham who duped money from his elderly aunt to tackle his own debt problems has been made to pay for his crime.

Terry Pocock, 54, of Forest Edge, was yesterday ordered to pay more than £75,000 at a confiscation hearing at Bristol Crown Court.

In 2002 Pocock drafted a power of attorney application to take over the affairs of his aunt, Marjorie Insall. But this was never registered and therefore never validated.

In 2006 the victim moved into a care home and the following year her home was sold and the funds - £124,470 –  paid into her bank account.

In June 2010, Pocock informed Torbay Care Trust that the funds in her account had fallen to below £23,500 and requested financial help. The trust questioned the expenditure that had been paid out, the police were informed and inquiries revealed that £75,380.45 had been withdrawn from the victim's account.

Pocock admitted taking the money for his own purposes after getting into financial difficulty and trying to use the funds to pay off his debts.

He said he believed he had the power of attorney which allowed him to do what he wished with the account, and that he was to be the sole beneficiary of her will.

On October 27 last year at Bristol Crown Court he was jailed for nine months.

At the confiscation hearing, also held at Bristol Crown Court, benefit of £75,380.84 was declared and a confiscation order made for the same amount.

Pocock was given six months to pay the order. If he doesn't he will be get a jail sentence of 21 months, after which he will still be liable to pay the order, plus any interest accrued.