Gambler raided dead partner’s accounts

Trevor L’Enfant (55), of Richmond Road, admitted taking nearly £17,000 from the estate of his late partner, Rosanne Collenette.

The Magistrate’s Court heard that the defendant guessed her online banking password and transferred around £15,000 into a William Hill bookmakers account in his name.

When confronted, L’Enfant admitted he had transferred about £15,000 into his gambling account and spent £16,930 in total, having also used a bank card to pay for shopping and household items.

He was sentenced to 160 hours of community service after pleading guilty to theft.

Magistrate Bridget Shaw described the offence as ‘a very serious breach of trust’.

‘I recognise that you had lost your partner but you took money which you knew did not belong to you,’ she said.

Mrs Shaw also made a compensation order of £10,000 to be paid over five years to Ms Collenette’s family but the defendant said he would like to repay the whole amount and would look to enter a private agreement with them.

L’Enfant told the court that he started gambling in a misguided attempt to help out his sister who was having financial problems. He added that she did not know anything about it and did not benefit.

Advocate Lauren Glynn, defending, said the gambling ‘spiralled out of control’ and L’Enfant said it reached a point where he did not know why he was doing it.

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –