Man forged wife's signature to get cash (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Man forged wife's signature to get cash

4:05pm Thursday 15th November 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A man who forged his wife's signature on a bank loan of more than £50,000 has walked free from court.

Charles Patterson borrowed the money against the matrimonial home without telling his wife to consolidate a number of other loans.

In order to get his hands on the cash - which could have led to the house being repossessed - the 59-year-old had to forge his wife's consent on forms.

But after hearing how Patterson had almost reached his 60th birthday without any convictions and no one had lost out financially a judge suspended his jail term.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court the defendant and his wife Shirley jointly owned a house on Bridge End Road, Stratton.

In October last year she said Mrs Patterson became aware of a loan taken out against the house with a firm called GE Money.

She made inquiries and found her husband had taken out a loan for £57,500 in both of their names and in order to do it he had forged her signature.

Miss Marlow said the loan was actually taken out in October 2004 but had been kept secret for two years before she found out.

The police were informed and when Patterson was questioned he told officers that he had got himself into debt.

"He had taken out a number of loans and he had taken the advice of advertisements he saw on the television to consolidate the loans," she said.

"He then took out the loan and when the documentation came, his wife knowing nothing about this loan, he attempted to forge her signature."

Patterson, who gave the court a work address of SW Group Logistics in Telford, Shropshire, admitted deception and forgery.

Mike Pulsford, defending, said though what his client was wrong he had maintained payments on the loan.

He said Patterson and his wife had now separated and were selling off the house for about £190,000 meaning he could settle the loan.

Since the split he said his client, who was in work, had continued to give money to his estranged wife for bills at the house.

In the past he said the couple had taken out a small loan of £6,000 against the house with the same lenders when they were called First National.

Mr Pulsford said that no one had been out of pocket as a result of the deception and the lender would always have got their money back as it was a secured loan.

Passing sentence Recorder Paul Garlick QC said "It is a sorry state of affairs when a man who is on the even of his 60th birthday comes before the crown court and has to be sentenced for two very serious offences."

He imposed a one year jail term but suspended it for two years and ordered Patterson to pay £220 in costs in the next three months.