A FRAUDSTER who posed as a homeless beggar to cheat a kindhearted well-wisher out of £18,000 savings has walked free from court.
Serial liar Susan Geary, who had a one bedroom flat in Leicester, gave her gullible victim repeated sob stories in order to borrow cash on a daily basis.
Excuses included funds accommodation, food and to replace money and clothing that was stolen.
She also said she needed cash to repair a car for a friend to take her to medical appointments.
The woman even received money for taxi fares to go to the victim’s home to dishonestly obtain even more money from him.
Leicester Crown Court was told that the victim, in his sixties, first met 32-year-old Geary while she was begging on the street near his local shop.
He took pity on her and began helping her out with small amounts and after a month agreed to lend her larger sums of money from his savings.
Unaware she owned a flat nearby, he offered his spare room — but she falsely claimed to already be staying at Glenfield Hospital’s Bradgate mental health unit.
Text messages between the two clearly showed that most of the cash, usually about £60 to £100-a-day, was handed over as a loan and not gifted.
In fact, Geary blew all the money on Class A drugs for her and her then boyfriend, which the victim would not have knowingly agreed to finance.
After one visit to con money from the victim, Geary sent a text message to her partner announcing they had “£180 to spend today.”
Stephen Taylor, prosecuting, said the complainant fell for her lies but later became sceptical of her claims.
He became concerned when she gave him obviously faked documents saying she was owed cash through benefits rebates and civil claims compensation.
Mr Taylor said that even when Geary was remanded into custody on another matter, the defendant persuaded him to send her £50 to prison on three occasions.
After seven months of parting with cash totalling £18,000, the matter came to a head on February 15 last year when Geary turned up on his doorstep and the victim refused to hand over any more money.
Geary became angry and picked up a rock, threatening to smash his windows.
To appease her he went to a cash machine and handed over £50.
He then notified the police.
Geary, who has unrelated previous convictions for theft, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, between July 2017 and February 2018.
She also admitted threatening to cause criminal damage to the victim’s windows.
Mr Taylor said the “sustained pattern of offending” left the victim struggling financially and he was confused and embarrassed by what happened.
He had clearly liked Geary and was trying to help her out because he felt sorry for her.
There was no sexual involvement between them, the court was told.
“It was a substantial loss and it’s affected his trust in other people,” said Mr Taylor.
Judge Martin Hurst said of the victim: “He is a nice man.
“He took pity on you.
“You took advantage of him saying you were homeless when you weren’t.
“He was gullible — he thought by calling it ‘loans’ you’d repay it, but you couldn’t pay it back and you never will have any money as long as you’re addicted to drugs.
“I’m pessimistic about how successful you will be because it’s been reported (by the probation service) you’re really not making any effort at all.
“We shall see if, within a month, you are making progress.
“If you go straight out of here and on the gear you will be brought back here and go into custody.”
Geary was sentenced to a 12 month community order, with six months of drug treatment and a five day rehabilitation activity requirement.
She was placed on a 7pm to 7am curfew and made the subject of a five year restraining order, banning any contact with the victim or going to the street where he lives.
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