‘Bully’ jailed for cheating grandparents out of more than £1,000

A court heard Daniel Wilcock committed “despicable” offences against his relatives after taking advantage of their generosity when he had nowhere to live.

Wilcock was invited to live with his grandparents in the Garforth area of Leeds after he was released from prison on licence for an offence of attempted robbery.

Leeds Crown Court heard Wilcock became aggressive towards his grandparents, aged 82 and 76, and would bully them in their own home.

In October last year Wilcock’s grandmother received a bank statement which showed money had been transferred out of her account.

The elderly couple then discovered Wilcock had opened letters which had been addressed to them from their bank and obtained security numbers.

Wilcock had contacted the bank and used the details to transfer money into his own account. A total of £1,300 was dishonestly obtained.

The couple waited until he had gone to bed before contacting police. Wilcock tried to drink bleach when officers went to the house but managed to stop him.

The 29-year-old admitted using the money to pay drug debts. He pleaded guilty to two offences of fraud.

Ian Cook, mitigating, said: “It is difficult to describe anything more despicable than this defendant’s offending.

Mr Cook said his client had tried and failed to come off drugs of several occasions.

Jailing Wilcock, judge James Spencer, QC, said: “What you did was to take advantage of the offer of accommodation, when your life was in bits, at your grandparent’s house. You then obtained details of their bank accounts and stole from them by pretending to be them.”