Drug addict stole £16k from his own gran
43-year-old admitted fraud
ADRUG addict plundered £16,000 from his own 94-yearold grandmother after taking control of her finances, a court heard.
Giles Billingham had previously been jailed for assaulting the victim and had also written a ‘‘script’’ of ‘‘what to say to the police’’ for her to read.
Billingham, 43, of Waterside House, Princip Street, Aston, who had previously admitted two charges of fraud by abuse of position, was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £425 costs.
Stefan Kolodynski, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said the victim had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in January 2018 by her GP.
He said: “Her state was clearly visible to her family. Billingham, her grandson, lived relatively close to her and was a regular visitor to her home. She lived a modest lifestyle, rarely leaving her home.”
Mr Kolodynski said the defendant’s father had suspected his son, who was unemployed, on state benefits and had an addiction to heroin, had been taking advantage of his grandmother’s finances since 2015.
In March 2017 Billingham, previously from Rowley Regis, took out a Power of Attorney which gave him “almost unfettered access to his grandmother’s financial affairs”.
Later in the year Barclays Bank raised concerns about the potential mismanagement of the victim’s funds and reported the matter to the police but no further action was taken.
However, as a result the bank reduced the amount she could withdraw at any one time to £150.
Mr Kolodynski said Solihull Council also became involved, as well as the Court of Protection. It sent Billingham three letters but he refused to engage with them, claiming his grandmother did not have any money.
Mr Kolodynski said that the Power of Attorney was then revoked and went on: “Despite concerns raised he continued to involve himself in his grandmother’s finances. It is clear he controlled her daily routine.”
Mr Kolodynski said concerns were also raised by a neighbour about a bruise he had seen on the victim and that had led to Billingham being jailed for six months for assaulting her.
He said an investigation revealed the defendant had been making regular withdrawals from his grandmother’s accounts with the West Bromwich Building Society and Lloyds Bank, which were “well in excess of her needs”, for a three-month period.
Police also found a script at his home in Billingham’s handwriting that she was read to the police, telling them she had not been harmed by him in any way. Mr Kolodynski said that was “particularly telling” and showed how controlling he was in securing access to her money.
“The victim was particularly vulnerable and this represented a huge dent in her financial affairs and could have had a catastrophic effect on her in her twilight years,” he said.
Passing sentence, Judge Martin Hurst said he was “disturbed” by the script but had taken into account a previous head injury suffered by the defendant, his mental health difficulties and the fact he had already served a significant sentence in relation to the assault and other matters.
Gulam Ahmed, defending, said Billingham, who is now living in supported accommodation, was not the same person now as the one who had committed the offences.