Man took pensioner’s savings to pay debts

HEARTLESS Daniel Mather betrayed the trust of a 78-year-old woman and used her life savings to pay bills.

After he demanded cash up front to do jobs at her home, Mary Ashurst handed him her credit card and pin number.

She gave him permission to withdraw £50 for materials, but Mather (25), of Verne Drive, Sholver, went to various cash points and helped himself to £900.

And he never carried out any work at the victim’s home in New Moston, prosecutor Gareth Hughes told Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

Mather pleaded guilty to fraud and was given a suspended 18 weeks prison sentence after the court heard his mother had offered to pay back the money at £250 a month.

He was also sentenced to 300 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation, along with £85 costs.

The bench told him: “We have strong feelings about a case like this.

“This woman was a vulnerable victim and it has had a lasting effect on her.”

Mr Hughes said Mather was arrested after his fingerprints were found on a piece of paper he had left at Mrs Ashurst’s home.

Mather confessed what he had done and told police: “Old people are more generous over parting with money.”

In a statement Mrs Ashurst said: “I’m not in the best of health and I feel as though I have been preyed upon.

“I feel it’s my fault and my concern is that the money was my life savings.”

Mather, in court, said he had had financial problems after losing his job as a window cleaner. He said he used the money to pay debts and had bought his daughter “a few things”.