Skegness builder sentenced for £65k fraud against his father with dementia

Nicholas Michael Thompson, aged 54, appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on June 29 following his guilty plea for fraud by abuse of position and obtaining credit fraudulently.

Lincolnshire Police said they were alerted to this crime by a solicitor appointed as Power of Attorney for Michael Thompson (Nicholas's now deceased father) following high levels of spending on his clients account when he was in a care home with advanced dementia.

As Michael Thompson's health deteriorated he gave his son his debit card to allow him purchase food and items for him as he wasn’t physically able to leave his home.

Michael Thompson was admitted to hospital then into a care home in April, 2018.

At around this time, Nicholas Thompson was buying designer watches and jewellery. Large cash withdrawals were then made multiple times weekly from his father's account, and the spending continued on items including sofas, designer glasses, sunglasses, hotels, meals out, fuel and food shopping.

This continued for over a year until the cards were cancelled. Over £65,000 was spent or withdrawn.

Nicholas Thompson pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining credit as he was discovered by police to have created a Next account and obtained a credit card in his father's name.

Nicholas Thompson, a self employed builder from Lansdowne Avenue, Skegness, received a two year sentence suspended for two years, and 100 hours community service. He will now be subject to the Proceeds Of Crime Act.