Let-off for chef’s son after credit card fraud
Big Brother star Marco Pierre White Jr has been spared jail for spending £2,500 on his ex-girlfriend’s bank card.
The troubled son of celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White was seen dozing on the benches outside the courtroom with his baseball hat pulled over his face before he was sentenced.
The heavily tattooed reality star, 21, went on a spending spree with Carina Evans’ card after turning up on the model’s doorstep ‘half dressed and dishevelled’ and begging for a meal.
He bought goods which were ‘then sold to buy drugs’ before he was finally arrested in Bristol, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
Emily Maunders, prosecuting, said the former Celebrity Big Brother housemate turned up at Ms Evans’ west London home on February 28.
‘He appeared disheveled and asked for food.
‘She gave this defendant her credit card for the purpose of allowing him to use it to buy food.’
Ms Maunders told the court irregularities then began to appear in Ms Evans card.
She said: ‘The Bank of America contacted the complainant because it had come to their attention that there were a high volume of transactions had been recorded against her card.
‘He also contacted the complainant and said he’d accidentally been overcharged by the bank and needed her to unblock the card as he’d been arrested, and said he needed money for bail.
‘After she unblocked the card he went and spent more on shopping.’
Ms Maunders told the court the money was spent on goods in Sunglasses hut, The Apple Store, The Internet House and on Uber taxis.
Pierre-White Jr failed to surrender to police and was eventually arrested in Bristol in August after a police search and tested positive for cocaine.
He admitted one count of fraud by false representation.
Pierre-White Jr previously tol the court he was not evading police before being found in Bristol and explained he dhad lost his phone and then went on holiday.
He was arrested and gave a prepared statement to police on August 14, telling them he had been in a relationship with Ms Evans and she had bought him ‘gifts’ as she was ‘generous’.
Ms Evans had stated she was never in a proper relationship with Pierre-White Jr but their association ended badly due to infidelity.
In a statement read to the court the model described being ‘afraid for his safety’.
She said: ‘I knew he can be violent, though he has never been violent to me.’
‘I fear for his safety due to his drug habit.’
Brett Weaver, defending Pierre-White Jr, said: ‘He recognises that he behaved in an unacceptable manner, and that his actions were extremely foolish and upsetting to the loser.
‘He is remorseful.’
Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot interrupted, saying: ‘He doesn’t look remorseful. He was smirking before.’
Mr Weaver continued: ‘He is a young man with limited previous convictions.’
Pierre-White Jr has two previous convictions, one for driving under the influence of drugs in April this year and a public order offence from 2011.
Ms Arbuthnot handed Pierre-White Jr a 12-month community order, requiring him to perform 120 hours unpaid work, to pay compensation of £2,500, costs of £620 and a victim surcharge of £85.
She said: ‘You pleaded guilty on the day of trial of using your ex-partners credit card to the tune of £2500 at least, possibly rather more, which you used to obtain goods which I assume were then sold to buy drugs.
‘This is a serious offence for which only a community order will do.’
A restraining order was also applied for, but the magistrate deemed it ‘not necessary.’
Pierre-White Jr, who gave his address as the family-owned Rudlow Hall Hotel, Corsham, Wiltshire, admitted fraud by false representation.
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