Malton man jailed for defrauding Scarborough woman out of more than £15,000

Robert Wiles, 36, of High Row, Kirby Misperton, Malton, pleaded guilty to committing fraud by false representation at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court on June 2 and was sentenced at York Crown Court on Wednesday (July 30).

The victim, who has mental and physical issues, was in her late 50s when Wiles carried out his offending between 28 November 2019 and 27 February 2022.

He initially befriended and helped her with computer work and various household cleaning and decorating tasks for payment, which were often not completed.

During this time, he pressured the victim into transferring £15,144.49 into his own bank account while falsely claiming she could be investigated for benefit fraud.

These usually occurred on or shortly after the victim received her disability benefits.

The investigation found that Wiles even persuaded the victim to change banks after concerns were raised by her previous bank about the series of online transactions from her account to his.

The matter came to the attention of North Yorkshire Police on March 16 2022 after a report was made by a new friend the victim had confided in while staying in hospital.

Wiles was arrested and a detailed investigation began which included forensic financial and digital examinations to uncover and piece together the key evidence.

Detective Constable Stephanie Palmer, who led the investigation, said: “Wiles has had an attitude of disdain towards the victim throughout, never showing any remorse.

“He constantly changed his explanations and even put the blame onto the victim for his actions.

“At one point during the police interviews, he cruelly stated he would rather kill himself than be a carer for the victim and that she deserved to be alone.

“The victim is very vulnerable due to mental and physical health issues, including poor mobility, and had believed that they were friends.

“Almost every month during the period of the fraud, she was left with hardly any benefits in her bank account.

“Without her bravery, this outcome at court would not have been achieved.

“I truly hope she can find some comfort knowing that he has finally faced justice for what he has put her through.”