6:59pm Thursday 15th November 2007
By Court Reporter
A pensions administrator from Sutton has avoided a jail term for using the identity of a dead pensioner to swindle money out of his firm.
Jon Isetts, 26, transferred £2,760 into the account of the deceased man, then changed the bank details to his own, so he could pay off mounting credit card debts.
Guildford Crown Court was told how he cancelled another fraudulent exchange at MNPA pension specialists just as the money was about to be transferred.
When Isetts resigned in February 2006, the company investigated the transactions and discovered a pension was paid to the dead man.
Isetts was arrested this April and confessed to fraud while in a position of trust.
He wrote a letter of apology and sent a cheque to his firm to repay the money, although it has yet to be cashed.
Defence counsel Raymond Barnett said: "The offence was committed at a time when my client was suffering from overwhelming debts, and having recently broken up from a long-term relationship, which caused him some emotional distress."
Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Neill Stewart, said the offence was particularly serious because of "the degree of planning and organisation it required".
The judge gave Isetts, of Priory Crescent, a six-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and put him under a supervision order for 12 months.
He also ordered him to do 80 hours' community service, compensate MNPA and pay £185 costs.
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