A fraudster who swindled nearly £900,000 ($1.1 million) from seven vulnerable victims to fund his gambling addiction has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Big scam
A fake UK financial adviser who defrauded nearly £900,000 ($1.1 million) from seven vulnerable people has been jailed for five years and three months. Peter Holbrook targeted people who were recently bereaved or elderly, offering to take care of will matters and write wills despite not having any qualifications to do so.
The 75-year-old admitted seven separate counts of fraud, explaining that he used the money to feed his gambling addiction.
One victim lost nearly £390,000 (US$488,933)
Bradford Crown Court heard how the defendant stole £849,839 ($1 million) from the seven victims between January 2011 and March 2021. One victim lost nearly £390,000 ($488,933).
In addition to gambling a lot of money, Holbrook also used some of the money to pay for vacations and send some installments to victims when they started asking questions. The judge said Holbrook showed little compassion for his victims and thought only of himself.
Attempts to avoid charges
Judge Richard Thayne summarized Holbrook’s interviews in court, in which he told police he was a wealthy, professional gambler who liked to help people. In an attempt to evade these accusations, the perpetrator described the children of one of his victims as “hatred and two-faced.”
He eventually confessed to his crimes during his third interview
Holbrook initially claimed he was innocent, claiming his daughter’s death delayed the processing of a money transfer to the family of one of the victims. In fact, the court heard, Holbrooke’s daughter is still alive and living in the UK. He’s the ultimate He confessed to his crimes during his third interviewas reported BBC.
The judge stressed that Holbrooke deceived people and deprived them of their financial security during vulnerable moments. He said Holbrooke took “money that parents had saved to give to their children when they died; Retirement plans were cancelled. Homes were sold to pay for care that should have come from people’s savings.
Lasting effect
Holbrook – who has no previous criminal convictions – said he was “disgusted” by his actions. Some victims held themselves responsible for falling for the scam, and confirmed that the matter led to problems with family members.
Holbrooke reportedly spent 12 hours a day gambling online in his home office, ignoring his wife and children.
The son of a woman who lost nearly £380,000 ($476,396) spoke to Holbrook outside court. He said his mother died in January, and she believed the money she invested would be given to her children in the future. The man warned people to be careful about who they trust with their money and welcomed the court’s decision to jail Holbrook.
