Gambling addict plundered £17,000 of sick mum's savings on Betfred game machines and then rang 999 on himself

Mark Thompson was given his mother’s bank card to “buy essentials” after she was admitted to hospital, but then squandered the cash on gaming machines in the Betfred shop.

Leeds Crown Court heard how he spent almost £2,000 in just one day. It was heard that the elderly woman had been admitted to hospital in March of last year, and so provided 52-year-old Thompson with her debit card.

She was later transferred to a care home after she was diagnosed with suffering from dementia. However, Thompson had already begun spending her money at the bookmakers, cash which should have later been directed towards her care-home fees.

He frittered away £17,750 between March 15 and May 21 last year. It was only when a transaction was finally refused that he stopped, and rang 999 to confess. He went to the police station for a voluntary interview where he confessed. He later formally admitted a charge of theft.

Thompson, of Allott Close, South Elmsall, has no previous convictions but a probation report found that he has had gambling issues since he was 16. Out of desperation, he tried to recoup the initial money he took from his mother’s account and then lost, causing the situation to spiral. The report suggested he was “deeply regretful” and “ashamed”.

The court also heard that the married father-of-three was dependent on alcohol, drinking up to two bottles of wine a day. Mitigating, Christopher Morton said: “His best point is his early guilty plea. There’s a significant degree of remorse, he contacted the police himself.”

Mr Morton said Thompson had been playing the gaming machines in the Betfred shop, placing them on automatic and simply watching the money drain away. However, it was heard that Betfred had since accepted liability and that a large portion of the cash could be recovered.

The judge, Recorder Richard Thyne KC handed him a 20-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 25 rehabilitation requirement days.

He told him: “It’s unclear if your mother knows what you have done, but in reality, it would have been very distressing for her and family members.”