Son stole £1,000 from his dying father
A gambler stole £1,000 from his dying father by stealing cheques and making them payable to himself while supposedly caring for him, a court heard.
Carl Pruden made his father Gary's final months unbearable after his crime was uncovered, his family said today.
He was yesterday given a community order for stealing the money from his father, who died in February after a battle with lung cancer.
Pruden, aged 31, stole a number of blank cheques from the 66-year-old while helping to care for him.
He then made payments to himself for a total of £1,000 between August last year and January this year to help with gambling problems.
Prosecuting, Mrs Maggie Meakin told Sandwell Magistrates Court the sole executor of Gary's estate Sarah Roberts, who was in charge of his finances, found a cheque for £200 had been made out to Pruden, and his father confirmed he had not paid it. It was discovered a total of £1,000 had been stolen.
Mrs Meakin added: "He said he committed the fraud because he was being threatened, and paid the persons unknown to prevent injury to him or his partner."
Mr Khalid Bashir, defending, said he made full admissions after his arrest. Pruden pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud.
Magistrates sentenced Pruden to a 12-month community order, ordered he do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay back the £1,000.
His family said today they would never speak to him again.
Devastation - See today's Express & Star
