A JEWELLER and antiques dealer who stole an earring from an elderly woman and tried to sell it back to her – claiming he had found a replacement for it – has been jailed for 18 months.
The Royal Court heard that 67-year-old Anthony John Webster had tried to defraud the woman – previously a personal friend of his – out of £100,000.
Commissioner Alan Binnington said Webster was guilty of “a cruel and calculated fraud” and there were no grounds for sparing him from a prison sentence.
The court heard that Webster and the victim had been friends for years. Crown Advocate Luke Sette, prosecuting, said: “The woman trusted him and regarded him like part of the family.”
He went on holiday with the woman and her family early last year. Afterwards she discovered that one of a pair of earrings she had bought from Webster many years earlier was missing.
Webster claimed to have found a replacement earring and offered to sell it to her for £100,000. He also asked her to transfer the money quickly, because he needed it with Christmas approaching.
But members of the woman’s family were suspicious and blocked the payment.
And a local expert confirmed that the supposed replacement earring was in fact the original piece, which Webster had stolen.
Advocate Sette said the crime had badly affected the woman.
“The victim was particularly vulnerable, by virtue of her age,” he said. “She is now unable to trust anyone other than her close family.
“She is reclusive and does not wish to socialise. She said: ‘It has rocked my whole life. He robbed me of more than an earring.’”
Advocate Sette added: “The action showed planning. There was some sophistication to it.”
He recommended an 18-month jail sentence.
Advocate Paul Nicholls, defending, said Webster was “a man of otherwise impeccably good character” who was “absolutely mortified” by his actions.
He said: “He knows the offending has had a profound impact on his friend. He is profoundly sorry.”
He added that Webster had “not insignificant health issues” and said: “Those issues are not going to be helped if this man is in custody.”
He pointed out that Webster had been deemed at very low risk of reconviction, rather than at low risk, and said: “There is absolutely no prospect that this man will offend again.”
Mr Binnington said the Jurats were taking into consideration Webster’s guilty plea and previous good character, but told him: “This was a cruel and calculated fraud.”
Webster owns homes in England and Monaco, so Mr Binnington added that there was no argument that Webster needed the money. “It was motivated purely by greed,” he said.
“You were well aware of the woman’s vulnerabilities and you exploited them.”
As well as the prison sentence Webster was ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.
Jurats Ronge and Le Heuzé were sitting.
After the sentencing civilian investigator Faith Shalamon, the officer in the case, said: “This case is a stark reminder of how deeply personal and damaging fraud can be, especially when it involves someone the victim trusted implicitly.
“The emotional toll on the victim has been significant. We hope this sentence brings some measure of justice and closure to the victim.”
