A Tilney All Saints man who stole more than £20,000 from a vulnerable adult over a period of almost three years has been jailed.
George Ward, 35, of Glebe Estate, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison when he appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Monday.
Police, who today welcomed the sentence, said he had stolen from the man between May 2008 and January 2011 and used the victim’s bank card to withdraw cash for his personal use, as well as online shopping transactions and payments to mobile phone stores, electrical outlets, car breakdown centres and hire shops.
He also fraudulently applied for a £400 loan in the victim’s name and committed a series of frauds on the auction site eBay.
At a hearing last year, Ward pleaded guilty charges of theft and fraud.
However, he was only sentenced this week after failing to appear at court for the initial sentencing hearing.
A warrant was issued for Ward’s arrest and he was subsequently detained by police in the West Midlands last Friday.
Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, police were also able to recover £338 from the sale of a car Ward purchased using the money he had obtained from committing his offences.
Det Con Duncan Rumbelow, of Norfolk Constabulary’s Adult Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “The victim lacked the ability to deal with his own finances, and despite knowing this, Ward removed money from the victim’s account for his own use abusing his position of trust.
“Such a sentence reflects the serious nature of his offending and demonstrates that the targeting of vulnerable victims in society will not be tolerated. Anyone who benefits financially from criminal activity can expect to forfeit that money at court.
“Norfolk Constabulary is committed to bringing such offenders to justice and has a dedicated team of investigators who deal with crimes involving adult abuse, as well as working continually to protect victim’s welfare by working closely with our partners.”