Man poses as mobility shop worker to target an 82-year-old victim
On 27th March, Philip Lingard posed as a mobility shop employee to steal a handbag belonging to an 82-year-old woman while she tested out her new mobility scooter.
According to the Derby Telegraph, Philip took a scooter to the pensioner’s address while pretending to be a Mobility at Home employee.
He then distracted her by asking her to drive the scooter up and down the road to make sure she was happy with the new wing mirrors. While she was driving the scooter, Philip stole her handbag.
Derby Crown Court heard about the offence and Joey Kwong, prosecuting, commented: “Investigations revealed that a Post Office pensions card that was in her purse had been used twice on March 27 and once again on March 28.
“In total £1,055 was taken from the victim.”
After being recognised on CCTV footage by a police officer, Philip was arrested.
Judge Jonathan Bennett jailed the 42-year-old for 32 months and commented: “This was a quite despicable offence.
“The victim is an 82-year-old woman with mobility issues. She was deliberately targeted, you knew she was vulnerable and there was an element of planning.
“You went to her address and encouraged her to try out her new scooter and while she did so you took the opportunity to steal her money.”
Philip pleaded guilty to burglary and fraud and the court was told how he has 36 previous convictions to his name including a suspended sentence imposed for shoplifting in April of this year.
In a victim personal statement, read to the court by Joey Kwong, the pensioner said: “I feel upset that I was taken advantage of by someone I trusted.
“I have lost all my money, how can someone like that take advantage of someone like me in such a way?”
Speaking after sentencing, Nicholas Askew, from Mobility at Home, commented: “This man has absolutely no association with us at all, and as far as I am concerned he deserves everything he gets for doing what he did to that poor woman.”
Established in 1982, Mobility at Home is a retail store selling a range of products such as mobility scooters, stairlifts, wheelchairs and powerchairs.
