Man ordered to work on financial skills

STRATFORD, ONT. • A roofer who took $4,000 from a customer in Stratford, Ont., and spent it on “other things” will be getting a lesson on money manage- ment as part of his sentence.

The homeowner will eventually be getting his money back as well after Matthew Diehl, a 28-year-old sole proprietor, pleaded guilty to fraud this week in a Stratford courtroom.

However, Crown attorney Mary Potter told the judge she didn’ t believe Diehl planned to defraud the vic- tim — it was a case of poor money management.

“I get the impression it was one of these things where, when the money was in hand, the money was used for other matters and then the work wasn’t done,” Potter said.

The defence lawyer said Diehl initially ordered the roofing materials but cancelled the order, got a re- fund and used the money for “other things in terms of his family.”

“So effectively stealing the money,” Ontario Court Justice Kathryn Mckerlie interjected.

The lawyer agreed with that assessment.

Potter suggested counselling for financial skills be part of the sentence.

“That’s a good idea,” McKerlie responded.

Along with counselling, a one-year suspended sentence and probation, Diehl was ordered to pay $500 in restitution every two weeks until the full $4,010 deposit is recovered.

“You understand if you don’t fulfill that obligation you’d be breaching a court order and would go to jail?” Mckerlie asked.

“Yes,” Diehl responded. Potter said “it’s too bad” no restitution was paid prior to the plea.

“Not even a hundred dollars,” Mckerlie added.

Diehl said he wasn’t able to save money because he had moved from the Stratford area and had a newborn.

Court heard after Diehl and the materials didn’t show up on the prearranged date in early November, the victim contacted Diehl and they rescheduled for one week later, but he didn’t show up then either and stopped returning phone calls. The pair had a brief conversation through social media about returning the money, but Diehl stopped communicating with him, the court heard.