Sheffield policeman faces jail term for £20,000 fraud

Jonathan Leonard Webb, a South Yorkshire police constable, also accepted forging a will in the name of the 94-year-old woman from Sheffield and stealing from two other people when he appeared yesterday at Leeds Crown Court. Webb, 45, of Sterndale Road, Sheffield was remanded on conditional bail until October 10 for sentence.

Judge Guy Kearl QC told him: “You will be fully aware and I am sure you will have been fully advised as to the inevitability of a custodial sentence following your pleas particularly when you were a police officer at the time the offences took place.”

Webb admitted five charges of fraud by making false representations to financial institutions on the 94-year-old’s behalf.

He accepted claiming to Scottish Widows that he had authority to close an account in her name, claiming to Skipton Building Society he was authorised to close an account in her name and transfer funds elsewhere, and fraudulently telling Santander and NatWest that he had authority to apply for cash or debit cards in her name.

He also admitted in the fifth charge of fraud between August 1 and November 21 last year making a false application to HBOS that he was authorised to apply for online banking facilities on behalf of the pensioner.

Webb also pleaded guilty to stealing £16,710 from the victim’s Santander account, stealing £4,855.35 from her Nat West account and stealing £1,360.17 from her HBOS account.