A pair of ‘recruits’ to a ‘complex web of deceptio

A pair of ‘recruits’ to a ‘complex web of deception’ involving
dozens of stolen cheques – that were used largely to buy cars and
electrical goods – have been jailed.

A jury had heard that pretty brunette Sharon Reilly, 24, helped
‘drain’ an account which she opened with one of the cheques stolen
from building societies in the West Country and in Barnet, Herts.

And Stephen Mason, 21, was said to have admitted in a police
interview ‘overseeing’ the typing out of a dud pnds stlg 20,000
cheque, Snaresbrook Crown Court was told.

Last month ringleader Winston Leachman, 34, of Oldwyk,
Billericay, was jailed for a total of four and a half years following
his conviction on a number of deception charges – relating to a
potential loss to victims of nearly pnds stlg 78,000.

The jury found Reilly, of Barnmeade Road, Dagenham, guilty of
conspiracy to obtain property by deception and conspiracy to use a
false instrument.

Mason, of Dyce Close, Emerson Park, Hornchurch, was convicted of
a single charge of conspiracy to use a false instrument.

Judge Gerald Gordon told Reilly that she ‘set up, then funded and
then drained an account using a stolen forged cheque.

‘
The judge said that pnds stlg 20,000 was then taken from the
account.

Reilly showed no emotion as Judge Gordon sentenced her to five
months concurrent on each charge she was found guilty of.

And because she was breaching a suspended sentence previously
imposed for unrelated deception offences, the judge ordered her to
serve a consecutive term of five months – making ten months
imprisonment in all.

Judge Gordon jailed Mason, of previous good character, for four
months for his part in the dishonesty.

The jury had also found shop-keeper Trevor Mollett, of the Drive,
Ilford, guilty of two charges of conspiracy to obtain property by
deception.

Mollett, 56 – the manager of Paragon Auto Electrics based in
Ilford – had accepted cheques from co-defendants knowing that they
were stolen.

The court had heard that he also submitted false applications for
credit to a finance house.

Sentencing Mollett to 180 hours of community service Judge Gordon
said that he had been a man ‘of fine reputation’ and added: ‘You had
at the time very severe financial problems.

You were struggling in
what you described as a young man’s world.

‘
During the trial Jason Clemence, 19, of Nags Head Lane,
Upminster, Essex, had pleaded guilty to two charges of forgery – of
two cheques totalling nearly pnds stlg 22,000.

Judge Gordon sentenced him to 170 hours of community service and
ordered him to pay compensation of pnds stlg 1,840 to the Southend
branch of retailers Hodges and Johnson – who during the scam were
tricked into parting with electrical goods in exchange for forged
cheques.

In December last year Clemence’s father 39-year-old Richard
Clemence – who runs Lanmere Motors in Seven Kings, Ilford – had been
cleared on the judge’s direction of various deception charges allegedly
connecting him with the dishonesty.

Mr Anthony Abell, prosecuting, had said that the case concerned
‘a complex web of dishonest deception which was taking place between
March 1990 and April 1991, when most of the defendants were arrested.

The jury had heard how in May 1989 there was a burglary at the
Weston-Super-Mare branch of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Building
Society where about 28 cheque books were stolen.

And a year earlier there had been a break-in at the Gateway
Building Society in Barnet, Herts.

The first ‘section’ of the fraud involved obtaining motor
vehicles ‘from innocent vendors by tendering them with worthless
building society cheques that were happily accepted by those selling
the cars,’ continued counsel.

Leachman had been found guilty by the jury of obtaining a BMW and
a Mercedes by deception.

Mr Abell said that in the ‘second section’ Leachman and others
not before the court ‘obtained television sets, video recorders and
other electrical goods’ with the stolen cheques.

Counsel explained that in the next stage of the dishonesty
Leachman, this time joined with Jason Clemence, Mason and Reilly,
‘fraudulently credited substantial cheques into two building society
accounts.

‘
The jury were told that they then set about attempting to ‘drain’
funds from the accounts – one of which was opened at the Lewisham
branch of the Abbey National.

While Mollett accepted stolen cheques at his store in Ilford
Jason Clemence and Mason typed up another one to the tune of pnds stlg
20,000 on a typewriter at Lanmeres.

During the trial Mason and Reilly decided not to give evidence.

But Mollett had told the jury from the witness box that he had
accepted cheques for goods ‘in good faith’ and claimed that he had
been duped by the others into the dishonesty.

Defending Reilly, Mr Hugh Davies described her dishonest
behaviour as ‘foolish’ but had urged the judge to pass a community
service order as a punishment.

Defence counsel for Jason Clemence, Mr Stephen Harvey, said he
was ‘stupid’ and ‘did not get anything from it.

‘
He added: ‘He can be fairly described as used as opposed to the
user.

‘
Mr Nigel Lithman, defending Mollett, said that he ‘simply fell
under the influence of Leachman.

‘
Defence counsel for Mason, Mr Sam Parrish, told the court that he
‘did not receive a penny’ for his part in the crooked activity.

Last month four others – who faced charges of conspiracy to
obtain property by deception and conspiracy to use a false instrument
– walked free from court after the jury cleared them of any
involvement in the dishonesty.

They were: Canute Daley, 44, of Stokefields, Pitsea, Essex;
Jennifer Blake, 25, of Poplars Avenue, Gravesend, Kent; Michael
Faribido, 24, of Spinel Close, Plumstead, SE London, and Nicholas
Madel, 24, of Haynes Park Court, Hornchurch.

ENDS