Bank fraudster’s grandmother offers to pay back his victims

The gran of a bank cashier who stole almost £9,000 has offered to pay back his victims.

She wrote a letter pledging to refund the money as Joe Lennon, from Kennington, was jailed for 20 months for three counts of fraud.

The 26-year-old, of Peter Candler Way in Little Burton, had earlier admitted siphoning customers’ cash into his own account while working at the Canterbury Halifax branch.

One of his three victims was blind, while another was “emotionally vulnerable”, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

Judge James O’Mahoney said: “If you can’t trust bank staff then who can you trust?

“Three clients trusted you with their hard-earned money. This was an extreme breach of trust, not only to those customers but also to the bank.

“I have no doubt what you did caused victims distress and concern. It is so serious that there must be an immediate custodial sentence.”

Lennon, who started working for the bank in 2017, remained emotionless as his sentence was passed. The court heard he transfered the money into his personal account between July and August last year.

Prosecutor Alec Williams told how a Halifax investigation revealed Lennon had used internal systems to move £6,550 from Alan Stafford’s account. He then scammed Maureen Robinson out of £1,200, and £1,100 from Deborah Broadbridge.

Mrs Broadbridge told the court she was “appalled at the individual’s audacity” and has since stopped using the account.

Mitigating, Emin Kabdola claimed Lennon was blackmailed by a drug dealer into stealing the money.

But Judge O’Mahoney said: “That isn’t a mitigation because if you’re going to sell drugs then you’re going to meet unpleasant people.” He made an order instructing Lennon to pay his gran back.

Joe Lennon, of Little Burton in Kennington, has been jailed for 20 months

Halifax in St George’s Street, Canterbury, where Mr Lennon worked