A Fife man stole his aunt’s bank card and used it to buy a £1,000 holiday just days after she died.
Owen Houston, 37, also used the card to purchase more than £200 worth of goods from a charity shop in Dunfermline.
At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, “callous” Houston was put on a tagging order and told to repay the money stolen from his deceased relative’s estate.
Houston, of Kinnell Road, Inverkeithing, appeared for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to two fraud charges and one theft.
Bank card theft
Prosecutor Azrah Yousaf told the court Houston’s aunt was taken to hospital on April 5 last year and died there two days later.
The fiscal said Houston visited her address before she went to hospital and her son found this “strange”.
On May 20 her son saw a bank statement showing cash withdrawals between April 6 and 15 and could not find her bank card.
He reported it as a theft and believed Houston had taken it.
Police went to places the card had been used and Houston was confirmed as the user, the fiscal said.
He admitted theft.
Holiday purchase
On April 13 Houston at Hays Travel Ltd in Dunfermline‘s High Street he was authorised to use the bank card and fraudulently bought a holiday for £1,082.
The same day, he fraudulently used the card at the city’s British Heart Foundation shop to buy £235 of goods.
Defence lawyer Scott Norrie said Houston’s position is he would regularly visit his aunt.
The solicitor said he spoke with an elderly friend of the deceased and the “picture she painted” was the aunt regularly gave her bank card and PIN to people to buy alcohol and cigarettes.
Mr Norrie said the elderly woman also recalled Houston, for “safekeeping”, giving his aunt “in the region of £2700” following the sale of two motorbikes.
The lawyer pointed out this formed part of Houston’s agreed plea last month.
Mr Norrie said his client is also “in the early throes of” setting up a small business for vehicle repairs, with another person.
Curfew and compensation
Sheriff Krista Johnston told Houston: “This appears to have been not only dishonest but a callous act on your part following the unfortunate death of your aunt.”
She continued: “I am, just, persuaded I can deal with the matter by direct alternative to custody”.
Houston was placed on a four-month curfew and told to pay compensation totalling £1317 to his aunt’s estate.
Prosecutors accepted a not guilty plea to an allegation Houston had, on occasions between April 6 and 15 last year, in Dunfermline and Inverkeithing, used a stolen bank card and PIN to steal £2,400 from ATMs.
Not guilty pleas were also accepted to two other fraud charges concerning small sums of money at Primark and a Premier Store.
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