Published: 26 January 2012
by TOM FOOT

CONFIDENCE in the Post Office has been shattered by a member of its own counter staff who targeted two vulnerable, elderly women and pocketed hundreds of pounds from their accounts, a court heard.

Ketan Patel stole a total of £1,100 from Megan O’Brien – a 90-year-old wheelchair user with arthritis and sight problems – and £100 from 87-year-old Jean Spriggs.

Patel, who has an accounting degree, admitted four counts of “fraud by abuse of position” in September and October last year at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Magistrates chairwoman Elaine Tobin told Patel he had committed a “particularly disturbing crime”, adding: “You preyed on vulnerable victims in a way that is really distressing. It was premeditated and you were acting from a position of trust.”

She said the maximum sentence of one year was “insufficient” and listed a second hearing in front of a Crown Court judge.

The two women were taken on a weekly “pension run” from Greatcroft Resource Centre to the Marchmont Street Post Office, supervised by Camden Age UK.

The court heard how the centre’s elderly had been left afraid to visit that office and were now using a different branch.

Patel beckoned the two women to the counter offering to help them, the court heard.

But when they came to his desk he doubled and sometimes tripled, the amount they had asked to withdraw, pocketing the difference for himself.

Prosecutor David Davies told the court: “Mr Patel was particularly helpful to these women and asked [Ms O’Brien] to come to the front of the queue. She asked for £200 but he keyed in £600, stealing £400 from her.”

The court heard how the process was repeated three times before staff at the community centre became suspicious and followed Ms Spriggs into the post office. When Age UK staff found a receipt showing £200, but she only had £100 on her, they called the police.

Patel, from Willesden, was found with £170 in his trouser pocket and £220 in his jacket pocket.

Large amounts of cash had been paid into his account shortly after visits from the two pensioners, the court heard.

Mr Davies said the stolen money was a “large” amount for Ms Spriggs and a “huge” amount for Ms O’Brien and that Patel’s actions had caused “widespread disruption” at the day centre.

He said: “People at the day centre have lost confidence in the Post Office. They are scared by this incident”

Patel’s defence was that fees for his university masters course had risen and he needed extra funds.

There was no application for bail from solicitors acting for Patel and the court heard he was also wanted by the Home Office.

His application to stay in this country had expired and he was not supposed to be living or working here, despite his job at the Post Office, the court heard. He had no previous convictions.

His lawyer, who declined to give his name to the New Journal, said: “Mr Patel feels extremely guilty.

He realises how serious and grave his actions were and he was not thinking of the consequences at the time.

He wants to apologise to the court, his two victims and to the post office.

“He very much wants to return to India.”