Fraud By False Representation

[cassar26]

hiya guys i have comited fraud again i was sentenced in 2011 for fraud i got 250 hours com service but never attened or anything i never had a letter or anything. so left it at that. now ive been done for fraud i have a gambling problem so was selling tickets i never had totalling 1300 but did deal with cps and only charging me for 2 offences out of 8 for 355 i have 4 children i dont wanna go jail im so worried i have started gamblers annon please help thanks

[tonywiltshire]

Gambling is an addiction which needs help and assistance not punishment which will be agreed by most people who have not suffered loss or difficulties due to your actions or others with an addiction. The start of which must come from you and it will not be easy, first accept whatever punishment is due for what you have done, not by looking for a good solicitor in Cardiff or saying what you think is what is wished to be heard but by taking responsibility for what you have done and ensuring you turn your life around.

[DJHawkes]

can i ask, in what way was fraudulently selling tickets anything to do with your gambling addiction? It's one thing to allow it to affect your loved ones but why let it cause financial loss to total strangers? The charge is fraud, not gambling, as you have done similar before why would any judge feel you had learnt anything from the previous sentence? The people you defrauded may well appear as witnesses, do they have any sympathy for your gambling habit causing you to use their money to feed it?

[tonywiltshire]

The charge does not always reflect the problem DJH, people are subjected to crime to feed a habit of perhaps drug addiction or similar, but the perpetrator will rightly be charged with whatever offence they may have committed, in my experience there are a great many people in prison with mental health or addiction issues which need treatment and until the origins of the problems are dealt with the innocent will suffer.

[DJHawkes]

but cassar has re offended and not actually done the original 250 hours community service. The fact that they ignored that sentence and then went on to repeat the offense will not look very good and any mitigation claimed may well be taken less seriously based on his previous contempt of the court.

[DJHawkes]

not sure how they managed to ignore the community service anyway, around here they lock you up if you have been given that and a suspended sentence.

[EDDIE51]

Just a thought, but if you have been gambling the cash away , your family will be no worse off if you are in prison. Your wife will get benefits for herself and the children and housing benefit but you will not be able to gamble it away.

[Orderlimit]

This may be worth a read

In particular the four personal mitigating factors that are relevant to this type of offending, found under the heading STEP TWO: Assess the harm caused by the offending.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/fraud_by_false_representation/