A man who secretly raided his girlfriend’s bank account and made off with more than £15,000 of her inheritance will spend the next 12 years paying her back.
Jordan Edwards has been ordered to pay his victim £100 a month for the next 147 months – taking him up to 2033.
He must also carry out 60 hours of unpaid work after his “opportunistic and calculating” crime.
Edwards was just 17 when he helped himself to thousands of pounds of his then-girlfriend’s cash.
He made a total of 88 transactions amounting to £15,483.20 in little more than two months.
The dishonest teenager, who had only been in a relationship with the girl for eight months, initially owned up to stealing £700 before his victim discovered the horrifying extent of his dishonestly.
A fairly new relationship
Fiscal depute Tom Procter told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the pair had been in a relationship from January 2018 until the betrayal came to light in November the same year.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Edwards’ then-girlfriend received a £30,000 inheritance payout in June and July 2018 which she placed in an Easy Saver account in her name with TSB.
She used that account to hold the money before transferring it into her own current account.
Apologised and promised to pay back cash
“Sometime during October 2018 the complainer noticed that she couldn’t find her debit card for her current account,” fiscal depute Tom Procter said.
“On November 7 she contacted the bank to cancel the card and arrange a replacement.
“At this time, certain transactions were flagged as not having been carried out by her.”
When the girl visited the bank to look over a list of transactions with a member of staff, she noted number had not been carried out by her.
Mr Procter added: “On November 8, the complainer received a text from the accused in which he admitted taking £700.
“He said he was sorry and promised to pay the money back.
“At a later date the accused’s mother gave the complainer £700.”
Caught on CCTV withdrawing cash
Soon afterwards, as the girl went over the bank statements with her mum, she discovered even more suspicious spending and note a further £7,000 had been spent through online spending and cash withdrawals.
They then both visited the bank and counted 88 transactions – amounting to £15,483.20 – that they did not recognise.
CCTV was also examined which showed Edwards making cash withdrawals at the bank at times matching the transactions.
‘He wishes he could go back and not do it’
Defence agent David Sutherland said Edwards, who is now 20 and due to start an apprenticeship at a bakery soon, “feels bad for what he did and does regret it”.
“He says he wishes he could go back and not do what he did,” Mr Sutherland added.
“He had a reasonable work ethic and hopefully he can put all this behind him with a reminder that he will be paying so much per month back to the complainer.
“He will be paying that for many years to come.”
‘Opportunistic and calculating’
Sheriff Margaret Hodge called the crime “opportunistic and calculating” and ordered that the money be paid back at £100 per month, or more should his circumstances change.
She added: “I do accept from your solicitor about how there may have been a degree of immaturity in your actions but nevertheless I hope you accept this was a huge breach of trust.
“It’s absolutely appropriate that you have to pay this money back and it will take some time.”
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