Enniskillen Court House, RMGFH03
LISNASKEA woman has been given a suspended prison sentence for cashing and spending over £4,000 of bad cheques at local shops.
Elizabeth Clifford (50) from Carrowshee Park pleaded guilty to 18 counts of fraud by false representation and one count of attempted fraud by false representation at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last Wednesday.
Clifford was apprehended after police were contacted by the owner of the Spar shop in Newtownbutler on September 30, 2014 who said Clifford had been in his shop and on two occasions used cheques to buy groceries and get cash, of £150 then £300. Both cheques later bounced. On a third occasion Clifford attempted to use a cheque for £650, but was refused.
Clifford was then interviewed by police, and gave permission for her bank account to be examined.
The police then investigated her account at Halifax, and identified 18 more bad cheques Clifford had used at local shops in Lisnaskea and surrounding areas between March and November 2014. In total, Clifford cashed and spent bad cheques to the value of £4,346.
When brought in back in by police for a second interview, Clifford said she was trying to sort the matter out and would be attending Citizens Advice to see how she could pay the money back.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said from reading the pre-sentence report for Clifford he could not figure out why Clifford had been using the cheques and was unclear of her modus operandi.
Defence barrister Stephen Fitzpatrick explained Clifford had fallen victim to a con where she believed “paysafe” vouchers were going to be added to her bank account. He said she had issued the cheques in the hope of receiving the vouchers.
Mr Fitzpatrick said Clifford had been having financial difficulties, adding she also suffered from medical difficulties. When asked by Judge Broderick if she had means of recompensing the shopkeepers she had defrauded, he said Clifford was on ESA and had no assets.
The barrister added Clifford had offered to pay back the nominal amount of £5 per week, but accepted that was not suitable considering the amount and the time frame that would be required by the court. He added she was not suitable for community service given her health difficulties, but said she had no previous convictions and no matters pending. As such Mr Fitzpatrick asked for the court to suspend any custodial sentence.
Judge Broderick said the matter were serious, telling Clifford that the shops she had defrauded had taken her on good faith but there had been no prospect of her cheques being honoured. He added that he understood Clifford had a troubled background, was clearly not someone with a history of causing offences given she had no prior record, and was assessed as being unlikely to reoffend.
He sentenced her to five months in prison, suspended for two years, warning her that if she reoffended in that period she could go to prison. Judge Broderick added that he was not going to impose a compensation order, given Clifford’s limited means.
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