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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/sevenoaks By Paul Hooper, 11 April 2019.
Stanhope Arms landlord collapses in dock when sentenced over
stealing £81k from elderly parents.
A pub landlord, who secretly used £81,000 of his parents' cash to
keep his failing business afloat, dramatically collapsed today.
Adrian White had just been sent to prison when he was told to go with
officers and start his sentence.
But the brickie-turned landlord suddenly clutched his chest at Maidstone
Crown Court and fell to the floor.
Prison staff, security officers and his lawyer went to his aid and
paramedics were summoned.
He was then taken to hospital by ambulance in the company of prison
staff.
Earlier, the court had heard how the fraudster had been caught out when
his step-mother went to get money to buy him a birthday present.
The 57-year-old Freemason later told a probation officer his father had
died believing his son was a thief.
White, who is landlord of the "Stanhope Arms" in Church Road, Brasted,
Westerham had been entrusted with Power of Attorney in 2015 in case his
dad and mum Robert and Mavis White became unable to handle their own
financial affairs, Maidstone Crown Court heard.
But instead he defrauded them to prop up the loss-making pub. He
admitted one charge and was jailed for 25 and-a-half months.
White claimed he had been estranged from his father for years. But
thanks to his wife, White re-kindled the relationship and father and son
attended lodge meetings together.
Judge Charles Macdonald QC heard the money had been secretly transferred
from his father's account into White's business account at a time when
the pub was losing money.
White told probation officer Linda Jaycock he had intended to repay the
money and handed back £20,000 when the fraud was discovered.
Tariq Al-Mallak for White, said:- "He has made mistakes. He was estranged
for a while.
"But he did things for his father, who lived on the Isle of Sheppey. He
had hoped he would pay everything back.
"He took the money because his business was going under."
White claimed he used some of the money refurbishing his father's home
in Sheppey.
Mr Al-Mallak added:- "He did not want to hurt his father and if he goes
to prison the business will shut down leaving his wife and daughter
homeless.
"He wants to pay back the money. He has always cared about his father
and spent a great deal of his time and effort helping his father settle
into and improving his father’s home."
Mary Jacobson, prosecuting, said that White, his wife and a niece and
her son were given Power of Attorney in October 2015. That power would
only come into effect should Robert or Mavis lack mental capacity.
She said: “Robert never lacked mental capacity throughout the period.
"He is now unfortunately deceased. Mrs White eventually succumbed to
Alzheimers.
“Therefore there was never any permission given to White to take the
money for his own use and he was not a beneficiary under his father’s
will, " she added.
Ms Jacobson added the prosecution couldn’t challenge some of White’s
claims that he worked for his father and some of the money was used for
his late father.
White was arrested at his pub and told police officers some of the
missing cash had been used to pay for his father’s care home fees.
“The officer then pointed out the fees had been paid directly from his
father’s bank, "she added.
Ms Jacobson told the judge that White admitted using his father’s money
wrongly but there was no malice in what he did and intended repaying
him.
“He spoke of his remorse that his father died believing his son had
stolen from him and him not being able to explain himself or make
amends.”
White was a bricklayer and later became involved in construction
management although his last venture went wrong and the company was
liquidated.
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