A mini-cab driver who used a stolen credit card to
A mini-cab driver who used a stolen credit card to pay
for his petrol has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Judge Monier Williams allowed Granville Whitehead to
walk free when he heard that he had now ‘made something of a
success of his life’ by starting a thriving business as
a contract diver.
Whitehead, 38, of Ellington Street, Holloway, pleaded guilty at
Snaresbrook Crown Court to handling both a stolen Barclay card and
cheque book and to four charges of obtaining property by deception.
He asked for three similar deception charges to be taken into
consideration and admitted a further charge of possessing 3.
8
grammes of cannabis resin.
Judge Williams described the offences as ‘acts of petty
dishonesty’ an told Whitehead: ‘But I do not propose to deprive
you of your freedom.
‘
In all the judge jailed him for three months suspended
12 months.
In addition Whitehead was ordered to pay Barclaycard pnds
stlg 201 compensation, pnds stlg 367 costs, plus a fine of pnds stlg
125 for possessing cannabis.
On March 25 last year police went to his home where they found
the credit card and cheque book as well as the cannabis, said Mrs
Margaret Dodd, prosecuting.
The court heard that there had been a stop put on the card which
had been stolen from a London art student.
Whitehead told officers he had used it six or seven times to buy
petrol while he was a cabbie but had not used any cheques.
Mr Christopher Bowyer, defending, said the offences
occurred ‘at an extremely low point in his life after splitting
up with his wife and being left with his three children to look after.
‘
ENDS
