Bank Fraudster Cashed OAP's Pension Cheques

A bank fraudster, who cashed £1,000 worth of an 85 year-old woman's stolen pension cheques, dodged prison with a suspended sentence today.

Florist Anna Forrest, 30, of Mayfair Buildings, Durham Road, Sunderland was visiting her mother in Croydon when she became involved in the swindle.

She was convicted at Croydon Magistrates' Court of three charges of fraud by false representation, namely cashing three Department of Work and Pension (DWP) cheques belonging to a Miss E Casedi on November 7, 2011.

The court heard she entered a bank in the town with a man later charged with fraud offences totalling £12,000 and convinced staff she was entitled to cash the cheques on behalf of Miss Casedi, using her own genuine driving licence as proof of identity.

Forrest (pictured) claims she had spent the afternoon in a local pub with people she did not know very well and her involvement was limited to one visit to one bank and she received no financial reward for carrying out the fraud.

She says she did not know she was associating herself with people, who were “working the area” and involved in a much wider fraud and as unaware of the scale of their offending.

Forrest has been employed as a florist for nine years – the last six with the same firm – and the court heard she has made efforts to “move away from her juvenile behaviour.”

Until recently her partner was on benefits and she was the family's sole breadwinner, supporting her young child.

“We believe these offences are very serious,” bench chairman Mr. James Philips told Forrest. “It was an offence involving an eighty-five year-old lady's pension money and would have caused her a huge amount of distress.

“We considered an immediate custodial sentence to show you how bad these offences were.

“You came perilously close to going straight into custody today.”

Forrest was sentenced to twenty weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, and ordered to complete 180 hours community service work.

She was also ordered to pay £1,002 compensation to the DWP and £300 costs at the rate of £10 per week.