Man jailed for policy fraud
A BARNSLEY man who fraudulently claimed more than £100,000 on his dead father's health insurance policy - then spent it on meals out, holidays and home improvements - has been jailed for a year.
Former shop owner Adrian White, aged 56, forged 27 nursing home invoices totalling 107,720 and faxed them to the Dutch insurance company over seven years, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
White, who used to run a model railway shop in Elsecar, Barnsley, admitted two counts of fraud.
He used the money to fund meals out, holidays, and home improvements on the bungalow he shared with his disabled partner Josie.
He withdrew between 1,700 to 2,500 at a time.
Clive Cook, prosecuting, said White's father Reginald was a UK citizen who had spent most of his working life in Holland where he took out health insurance.
When his health failed, he and his wife returned to Barnsley to the Grove Nursing Home and the fees were paid by the insurance company.
Mr Cook said following the death of Adrian White's mother, he took control of his father's financial affairs because his dad was depressed.
Mr White died in July 2002 but, instead of telling the insurance company, White used his computer to create false invoices - complete with his father's signature - and then faxed them to the company.
The money was paid into his father's bank account and White used a debit card to withdraw the money.
The scam was discovered when the bank card expired and a new card, sent to the nursing home, was returned to the bank.
Richard Barradell, defending White, of Sheffield Road, Barnsley, said his partner had been diagnosed with bone cancer and was wheelchair bound after her leg was amputated. She died in 2006.
He said: "The money was spent giving his partner a better quality of life. He wasn't leading a lavish lifestyle out of this fraud.
"It's a lot of little offences that added up to a larger offence."
Sentencing, Judge Roger Keen QC said: "Your father died, and you decided to carry on his claim. I take the view your claim was fraudulent right from the start.
"You decided to profit by forging documents so the payments continued. There were 27 invoices and the amount you received was at least 100,000.
"This has been done on a large number of occasions over a long period of time."
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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