A businessman who defrauded a friend out of more than £2,000 after agreeing to help her pursue a timeshare cash claim has been sentenced and ordered to repay the money he took.
Alistair Wells, 58, had initially met the woman while running a photography business from premises in Bowness-on-Windermere. He offered to assist in a potential claim she was pursuing against a timeshare company, Carlisle Magistrates’ Court was told.
Wells asked for money to be transferred to his account to pay for a law firm in Gran Canaria and other fees.
Although the woman requested receipts for the sums she handed over, she did not receive any. And having become suspicious she began making her own enquiries and found no such claim had been lodged on her behalf.
In an impact statement, the woman later outlined a loss of trust and frustration as a result of the criminal conduct.
In court Wells, of Back Lane, Long Marton, near Appleby, admitted fraud by false representation between December, 2019, and June, 2020.
Defence lawyer Steven Marsh said Wells had run into financial problems as his premises closed during Covid. The company became insolvent, had to be dissolved and he accrued substantial debts as a result.
Wells offered help to the woman having previously lived in Gran Canaria but, after receiving a large volume of papers from her, believed the claim would not be viable.
“He returned the paperwork to the victim and also accepted he spent the money on other things,” said defence lawyer Steven Marsh, mitigating. “He believed he was intending to repay all this at some stage. With the business going as it did, he wasn’t in a position to do that.”
Wells made full admissions when interviewed by police and had expressed remorse for his offending.
District Judge John Temperley ordered him to complete 200 hours’ unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order, and pay £2,198.22 compensation to the victim.
