Fraudster jailed after bonanza from Barclays
A FRAUDSTER who seized on a bank error and assumed a false identity to net £790,000 has been jailed.
Bryan Wilson, 58, fled to Thailand after the huge sum was transferred to his account in a bank error.
Chichester Crown Court heard that in June 2007, a subsidiary of the main Barclays Bank was reviewing their client database and in error contacted Wilson through its records of a similar account.
A few weeks later, Barclays transferred 790,000 to Wilson's account.
But police were called after the real Mr Wilson tried to access his account in September 2007.
Wilson was circulated as 'wanted' by Sussex police and was arrested last September as he arrived at Heathrow airport from Thailand.
Wilson, of no fixed abode but who has lived at various addresses in Hampshire and West Sussex, including Petersfield and Midhurst, was sentenced to two years in prison.
Detective Constable Russ Jones said: 'Bryan Wilson was an opportunist thief who took advantage of an administrative mistake.
'Any honest person would immediately have pointed out that they were not the real owner of the account, but it was just bad luck that he reacted with clear criminal intent.
'This was virtually a million-to-one mischance.
'But although he initially gained control of the money, like so many thieves his attempts were doomed to failure as soon as the real Mr Wilson realised what was afoot.
'Like so many thieves, Bryan Wilson seized what he thought was the main chance and failed.'
All but 9,752.82 of the cash has been recovered by police. Police will now seek a court confiscation order for that amount under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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