Gambler stole to fund his addiction

Gambler stole to fund his addiction
By Neil Hunter

A GAMBLING addict who fleeced his girlfriend and stole her elderly mother’s lifesavings to spend at the bookies walked free from court yesterday.

Kenneth Wager, 41, dodged a prison sentence because a judge said a short spell behind bars – recommended in guidelines – would be “ineffective”.

Judge Peter Armstrong said he had also shown remorse, but last night, his former partner labelled him a liar and said: “He’s never shown any sorrow.”

Wager systematically siphoned money from the unsuspecting pensioner, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

He stole a bank card he was trusted with to pilfer £11,585 belonging to the woman, the mother of his then-partner.

Wager – a support worker for people with Alzheimer’s – also stole £1,871 from his partner to feed his addiction to gambling and slot machines.

His lies came to light when his partner was told by her bank she was overdrawn, and a statement revealed a series of withdrawals and payments to bookmakers.

At an earlier Teesside Crown Court hearing, Judge Armstrong was told by prosecutors the Hartlepool woman had control of her mother’s estate.

The court heard Wager took money from his elderly victim between 2010 and last year and from her daughter in December 2010.

His barrister, Jim Withyman, said: “It was a period of six months when he was having difficulties with a gambling habit.”

Wager, who lived in Hartlepool at the time, but had a bail address in Arthur Street, Ushaw Moor, near Durham City, admitted two counts of theft.

Judge Armstrong said his guilty pleas, previous good character and his remorse spared him from prison.

Wager was given a 12- month sentence, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and 12 months of Probation Service supervision.

The judge told him: “These were particularly mean offences because you stole from not just your partner at the time, but you took advantage of the situation.”

After hearing Wager has since lost his job, the judge told him he should start paying compensation when he is back in employment.