Man spared prison for ‘foolhardy’ £65k theft

A MAN who took £65,000 from his elderly parents’ house claiming he did so to keep them safe has been spared an immediate jail term.

Grayam McMurray, 51, was handed a suspended sentence at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday after previously pleading guilty to theft.

Judge Eleri Rees told the defendant: “This was an exceptionally foolhardy offence to commit.”

McMurray pleaded guilty last month to one count of theft relating to the period between August 21 and September 12 last year.

Prosecutor Helen Randall said McMurray was caught hiding the cash after a wider police investigation into criminal activity led them to his former home in Pontypridd.

The court heard officers found £65,090 in cash at his address in Hopkinstown Road.

He was initially arrested on suspicion of money laundering in November last year.

Ms Randall said the defendant was interviewed “at length” by police.

He told officers the money had been kept at his parents’ home by “others” and he took it to his own address to save them from potential repercussions.

McMurray accepted he knew the money was likely to have come from criminal activity.

The court heard he had two previous convictions – criminal damage dating back to 1989 and vehicle interference in 1991.

Jenny Yeo, defending, said her client had only moved the cash from his parents’ home out of concern for their safety.

She added: “This is not a matter that was motivated by greed.

“His reason for removing it was concern for his parents. He did not want them to be implicated.”

Ms Yeo said he cares for his mother and father, who are both in their 80s.

She highlighted his guilty plea and asked for any custodial sentence to be suspended.

Judge Rees said: “It was a significant amount of money.”

McMurray was given a 32-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge.