After gambling away £153,000 from another man’s bank account, an Uber driver was spared jail time.
Fezan Burki, 35, registered with six different bookmakers using a Coutts bank card that was replicated from Benjamin Fox.
A card belonging to Mr Fox’s wife, Kerry, was also used in the fraud, the Old Bailey heard.
Burki, of St John’s Way, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, had his phones confiscated by police on March 17, 2018, and it was discovered that he had pictures of fifteen other people’s passports, bank cards, and driver’s licences.
On November 17, 2018, he entered a guilty plea to charges of fraud by false representation and possession of goods for fraud during a hearing held at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. In addition, he said that some of the deception was done to support his kids.
Due to mental health concerns, the Uber driver was able to avoid jail time through mitigation.
Defence counsel Lawrence Harris said his client was ‘out of his mind’ at the time due to the complex PTSD brought on by a knife attack at the hands of his brother-in-law in November 2018.
The court heard that the incident caused him to require 52 staples and left him with a 12-inch scar, which ultimately caused his marriage to fail.
Furthermore, according to Mr Harris, Coutts was the lone victim in this situation because the bank was able to return the entire £153,305.67 after conducting an inquiry.
Mr Harris said, ‘He took desperate, irrational, and unlawful steps to acquire money with the intention, in part, of providing for all of his children.
‘The use of fraudulent money via gambling to benefit his children is the best example of his irrationality… He was always going to be caught.
‘Coutts is a bank with highly sophisticated internal investigation systems. He was out of his mind at the time.’
Prosecutor Sonya Foxsmith stated that when his wife’s card was copied, Mr. Fox became aware of suspicious activities while travelling.
The private bank, which is used by the wealthy and well-known, including the late Queen, informed the police.
They tracked down the phone numbers signed up by the betting companies and traced them to Burki, who was then arrested at his mum’s home in Essex.
But Ms Foxsmith said there were ‘ongoing financial investigations’ by police, and confiscation proceedings were likely as Coutts has been unable to recover the amount in full.
To suggest that the punishment he received was inadequate would be an understatement. It is not appropriate for its intended purpose.
They refer to this as British justice. What a joke and the UK judicial system is a worldwide laughing stock. Who said that crime doesn’t pay? And what’s the point of being law-abiding if judges are going to carry on giving out silly sentences?
For any severe crime, non-custodial penalties appear to be the norm these days. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO to be held accountable?
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 