28-year-old stole £40k from man with learning difficulties

A MAN “targeted” a vulnerable person with learning difficulties and in less than a month drained his bank account of his £40,000 inheritance from his late father, a court heard.

- JASON EVANS Court and crime reporter

While being investigated by police for that matter, Jeffrey Houston began a “campaign” of stalking against a female PCSO and a woman who worked for a community outreach charity, during which he claimed to be a “psychic medium” and called himself Harry Potter and James Bond.

The 28-year-old defendant, who has a history of violent offending, was made the subject of a hospital order under the Mental Health Act with a judge telling him that if he had not received a diagnosis of a psychotic illness, he would be receiving a prison sentence of “well over” two years in length.

Tom Scapens, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that the complainant in the first set of offending was a man with learning difficulties which made him vulnerable.

He said the male needed help with daily tasks, though he did have a degree of independence.

The court heard that, following the death of the complainant's father, he was left some £40,000 as an inheritance, and although he had access to the bank account containing the money, it was not used for day-to-day spending.

The prosecutor said that, in 2020, the victim met Houston via a mutual friend, and at some stage he disclosed to the defendant the existence of the inheritance.

The prosecutor said Houston then set about “ruthlessly exploiting” the vulnerable man, setting up an online banking facility for the complainant, taking him Christmas shopping, and asking for “loans” of large sums of money, which he claimed he needed to pay off debts from court proceedings in Manchester.

The court heard subsequent checks had shown no such debts.

The prosecutor said that on one day alone - December 29, 2020 - the complainant made six transfers into Houston’s bank account each of £1,000.