Bank manager who stole £91k from aunt sentenced

Bank manager Liam Schofield used online banking to steal from his aunt between 2015 and 2018 (file photo)

A bank manager who stole £91,000 from his aunt's retirement fund has avoided being jailed.

Liam Schofield, 33, plundered accounts and took out loans in her name over a three-year period after racking up gambling debts, Durham Crown Court heard.

His victim, now 81, said she had been "devastated" by the theft which had left her with pennies, adding she was mortified to have to borrow money to pay for her husband's funeral.

Schofield, of Dalton-le-Dale near Seaham, County Durham, admitted theft and was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Schofield was the manager of the Seaham branch of Lloyds and agreed to look after the woman's three accounts when she retired in 2015, prosecutor Jonathan Walker said.

He was given permission to withdraw cash for the woman as she did not use internet banking, the court heard, but as well making legitimate actions, he also set her up with internet banking and transferred thousands into his own accounts.

'Disgusted and devastated'

Between 2015 and 2018, he emptied her account and took out four loans in her name and without her knowledge totalling £27,000, Mr Walker said.

Whenever the woman asked how her finances were, Schofield would tell her they were fine, the court heard.

His activities gained the attention of the bank's investigation team and Schofield was arrested in 2018.

In a statement read to the court, the woman said she had worked hard all her life and thought she would be financially stable in her retirement.

It took several years for the bank to repay her what was stolen and in that time she had to borrow from friends and family, which included getting £2,000 for her husband's funeral.

She said she was "disgusted" and "devastated" by her nephew, who she said she had been "good to" and cared for.

'Abused trust'

In mitigation, Glenn Gatland said Schofield had had a significant online gambling addiction and bet away almost £529,000.

He said Schofield had sold his house and relinquished his pension to reduce his debts to about £60,000, which he was continuing to repay while working in a warehouse.

Schofield had started out legitimately helping his aunt but became "overwhelmed" by the addiction that had "ruined his life", Mr Gatland said, adding he had lost his partner and his family now "hate" him.

Judge Robert Adams said the woman should have been comfortable in her retirement and had trusted her nephew, adding "who better to help her" than a bank manager.

"You abused that trust and abused your position within the bank," the judge said.

He said Schofield's crimes deserved imprisonment but jailing him would put an immediate stop on the repayments he was making to those he owed money to, including the bank which repaid the victim, adding: "All those people would be out of pocket even further as a result of your actions."

Judge Adams said Schofield could instead "pay back the harm you did to the community".