Son who took £20,000 from sick mother spared jail
A son who cheated his epileptic mother out of some £20,000 has been spared jail because he has disabled children.
Paul Riches was supposed to be the principal carer for his 54-year-old mother Victoria Riches but he left her short of food and lonely while 'frittering away' her benefit money on computers and electrical goods. He also made more than 100 applications for loans under her identity.
Fortunately for Mrs Riches, he only managed to get £100, Stafford Crown Court heard.
Riches, aged 31, of Hunter Avenue, Burntwood, admitted fraud and was given a 16-month prison sentence which was suspended for 18 months by Judge Michael Challinor 'with great hesitation' for the sake of Riches' two children.
The judge said: "It's a long time since I have encountered a meaner offence than this. You became your mother's carer in February 2012, she suffers from epilepsy, she was and remains a very vulnerable lady. She needed support, friendship and kindness from you – you stole her money, you obtained loans using her identity and you drew funds from the state which should have been used to look after her."
However, having heard that Riches and his partner have two very young children with special needs, Judge Challinor told the defendant: "You are a proper carer of two young children. If you go to prison, the family may lose their home, it will be catastrophic for the children."
The judge also praised housing worker Donna Warden, from Bromford housing association, who stepped in when she saw the state of Mrs Riches. He ordered she should get a £250 reward from public funds.
Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said Riches's fraud on his mother amounted to £21,578, which included around £18,000 worth of benefits and £3,500 from her savings account. All that was left was a mobile phone worth £25.
It was Mrs Riches's mother who first raised concerns about her daughter in March this year – there was an absence of food in the house, she had lost weight and Riches was visiting less and less.
A support worker was appointed to her and the financial discrepancies were discovered.
In a victim impact statement Mrs Riches said: "Paul has made me very sad and I cry about it sometimes. I miss seeing him and also miss my grandchildren. I now have some very nice food, when Paul was my carer I didn't have any food."
Mr Mark Moore, defending, said: "His motivation seems to have been an inability to deal with debts."
