Gambling addict cheated family out of thousands of pounds

Kit Loydd, 24, wrought ‘chaos’ on his mum, aunt and grandmother after cheating them out of thousands of pounds as he gambled in casinos.

Prosecutor James Kellam said: ‘The defendant is 24, he is a gambling addict who has stolen from or committed fraud which has left in debt three members of his, the defendant’s, closest family.

‘These matters came to light around the time he was sentenced for a later fraud involving his aunt who was out of the country.’

But a judge has spared him prison after being told he’s working on probation from a previous fraud.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard Loydd took out a £35,000 bank loan out in his mother Ruth Loydd’s name while living at home in 2014.

Mr Kellam said when the fraud was discovered ‘there was still £10,000 left of it, the rest having been gambled away’.

He added: ‘His mother remains in debt.’

Then on February 12 this year, when Loydd was due in court for another fraud, he asked for his mum’s bank details to get transport.

Mr Kellam said: ‘He didn’t go and rather than £16, £300 was taken out.’

Mr Kellam told how in November 2016, Loydd agreed to do some work for his grandmother Nova O’Donavan – but instead of taking the amount agreed he stole £130 and took three blank cheques.

‘One he made out to himself for the sum of £700 and tried to pay into his account, it was intercepted and failed,’ Mr Kellam said.

His aunt, Sue Loydd, victim of the earlier fraud he was in court for, was in Australia when she found out what he was doing.

She flew back to discover he had taken out two credit cards out in her name, with about £2,000 spent on them.

Mr Kellam said it showed ‘the sort of chaos these offences caused in the family’.

The court heard Loydd’s mum, who wept in the public gallery, was standing by him but was in a ‘conflicted emotional state’.

Recorder Anna Midgley sentenced Loydd, of Herbert Road, Southsea, to an 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 15 rehabilitation days and 80 hours of unpaid work.

The judge said: ‘You are extremely fortunate that your family is supportive.’

But she added: ‘These are really serious offences whatever the cause of them.’

Damian Haynes, for Loydd, told how his client was addicted to gambling after being shown a casino at 18.

He said: ‘The gambling industry promotes responsible gambling with a slogan, when the fun stops, stop.

‘That’s the slogan for which Mr Loydd has singularly failed to heed.’

Mr Haynes said Loydd had been through counselling and Gamblers Anonymous since the frauds and thefts.

Loydd admitted five frauds and two thefts.

Investigating officer Det Con Jamie Fagan said: ‘This is a very sad investigation where everyone is a victim, Kit is a victim of his demons and his family, the people closest to him, have been hurt in the process.’