FRAUDSTER’S £271 ‘SPENDING SPREE’

Addict, 39, used two bank cards found in wallet

FRAUDSTER Simon Speer went on a spending spree with two bank cards he found.

The 39-year-old, who has an ‘appalling’ criminal record with 81 previous convictions for 224 offences, used the Monzo and HSBC cards at a number of locations in Longton including, Tesco, Argos, a BP Garage and Mcdonald’s.

He bought alcohol and tobacco and in total spent £271.87. Now Speer has been jailed for 16 weeks and hit with a £399.87 court bill at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.

Prosecutor Angela Trafford said the defendant found the bank cards in a wallet on March 28 and used them at shops in the Longton area. The majority of the transactions were with the HSBC card at shops including Tesco and Argos, below. He spent £203.13 on that card. And he used the Monzo card to buy goods worth £67.74 from a BP Garage and Mcdonald’s.

In his police interview the defendant said he found the wallet containing the cards and used them to buy alcohol and tobacco. He understood what he had done was wrong.

Speer, of King Street, Longton, pleaded guilty to eight charges of fraud by false representation and two charges of failing to surrender to bail.

Neil O’driscoll, mitigating, conceded the defendant’s record was ‘absolutely horrendous’. He said: “He has an appalling record including 144 offences for dishonesty and a number of fraud offences, all to supply a heroin addiction. He has recently come off heroin.”

Mr O’driscoll asked the magistrates to consider an alternative to a prison sentence. He added: “He wants me to say that he has turned his life around and he will comply with any order the court imposes.”

But magistrates jailed Speer and ordered him to pay £204.13 compensation to HSBC; £67.74 compensation to Monzo and a £128 surcharge.