Thief who took charity cash is spared prison
JON MACPHERSON
AHEARTLESS thief who stole charity cash and other money from a funeral directors has avoided jail.
Carl Anthony Mason admitted taking £100 from Barton and Hallworth Funeral Services in Oswaldtwistle at magistrates court.
On the same day, Mason, 35, also stole a set of car keys and other items from the Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre, and on July 29 he stole a money tub from a DIY store in Blackburn.
He pleaded guilty at Blackburn Magistrates Court to three counts of theft and was given a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months with a supervision requirement, a ninemonth drug rehabilitation requirement and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Speaking after the hearing, funeral director Paul Barton said Mason went into the office posing as a mourner.
Mr Barton, who is a former councillor and Hyndburn Mayor, said he only realised money was missing after recognising Mason on a police CCTV appeal on Facebook. He said: “I just can’t believe it. I’ve been left absolutely stunned.
“He came in and sat down to arrange a funeral with me. He posed as a mourner. He was looking around the chapel quite a lot but I was with him all the time. He kept looking around but I didn’t think anything about it.
“He then came back for a second time and said he didn’t know what he had done with the paperwork. Because I didn’t have it to hand I went into the office and that’s when he emptied the charity box for East Lancashire Hospice.
“We later saw his face on Facebook after what happened at the Civic and as soon as I looked at him I said ‘that was the person who came to see us’.
“I went straight down to the funeral service and that’s when we realised the money was missing.
“Until I saw that face we didn’t know.”
Paul described Mason, of Canterbury Street, Blackburn, as a ‘smooth operator’ and hopes he can get the help he needs. He said: “The guy probably just needs help. I feel sorry for anybody but to nick hospice money is low. It’s not right. It was the Sunflower Appeal for the Hospice. It makes me very, very angry because we support the Hospice very much. When I came back he carried on as normal. He gave me a funeral name and everything. If somebody came to me and said ‘I need £50’ I would’ve given it to them if it meant not stealing the hospice money.”