Loan collector stole £30k on rounds

A LOANS collector who pocketed almost £30,000 has escaped jail.

Leslie Jackson, a loans collector for Provident, stole money from his cash float and did not pass repayments from customers on to the company.

He also persuaded customers to take out loans on his behalf.

Jackson, 45, made £29,927.51 from his crimes, which took place while he worked for the company on a round in east Hull.

Prosecutor Gillian Jones told Hull Crown Court: "The company received a complaint from one customer, which was found to be a mistake, but led to two investigators visiting Mr Jackson.

"They interviewed him and he made several admissions, including that he had retained some payments for himself that should have been banked and that he had got customers to take out loans on his behalf.

"Some of the float was missing, which he said had been stolen from his unlocked car while he was on a round."

Jackson, who started working for the company in 2005, repaid at least £7,000 of the money he took through loans using other people's identities.

He had been responsible for collecting weekly loan repayments for the company, and had a cash float to pay out new loans.

Ms Jones said: "He worked with no problems for a number of years before this."

Jackson admitted two charges of fraud by abusing a position of trust and one count of theft when he appeared at Hull Crown Court.

His barrister John Thackray said the thefts began after money was stolen from his car while he was collecting money.

He said: "He worried he would lose his job if he reported it, so he set about trying to cover it up by his actions and it simply snowballed from there.

"It is a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. The money has not been spent on high living. He is a hardworking family man who has made some stupid decisions brought about by bad luck."

Judge Simon Jack sentenced him to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years.

Jackson was taken to court as a private prosecution by Provident Personal Credit Ltd.

The company's legal costs of £31,420.65 will be paid for out of public funds.

Judge Jack initially said the company should receive just £7,500, but later awarded the full amount after an application by Ms Jones.

Judge Jack said: "That is by far and away the biggest application for costs for central funds that I have ever seen.

"I take the view it is wholly disproportionate. I do not accept it has cost anything like that to prosecute this case."

However, after Ms Jones argued the figure was not unusual for a private prosecution, he awarded the full amount.

Judge Jack said: "It just seems a huge figure, even with a very large number of hours of work.

"Reluctantly, you have persuaded me to order the full amount is paid."