Special needs man, 62, swindled out of £3,500 by his own sister and her partner after they deemed him a soft target for being ‘a bit slow’
A judge described the couple's crime as 'distasteful, disgusting and appalling'
A MAN with special needs was duped out of thousands of pounds by his own sister and her same-sex partner after they targeted him because he was "a bit slow".
Anthony Owen, 62, lost £3,600 after Joanna Owen, 46 and 40-year old Julie Eaton stole his bank card and used it to withdraw £300 a time out of his account in what a judge described as a ''distasteful, disgusting and appalling crime.''
The court heart how the pair, from Peel Hall, near Wythenshawe, Manchester, were only caught out when staff at a Barclays bank reviewed Mr Owen's statements and discovered large amounts of cash being taken from his account.
CCTV footage was played back and the two women were seen carrying out the illicit transactions.
The pair, who have since split up, admitted theft on Thursday at Manchester Crown Court.
They were told to back the money within five months - or face a possible jail term.
Prosecuting, Hayley Bennett said: "The pair pleaded guilty on the day of trial to stealing from Anthony Owen, the older brother of Joanna Owen the sum of £3,600 by unauthorised use of a bank card stolen from him.
"He is 62 years of age and has significant learning difficulties, all of which would have been known to his sister and Eaton who stated in her police interview that 'he is a bit slow' and that you can tell he has learning difficulties."
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Owen's mitigation said she "is a woman of previous good character and has realised what affect this must have had on her brother" while Eaton's mitigation claims she "admitted everything but a little late".
Judge Tony Cross QC deferred sentencing until November 3.
He told the defendants: "I am absolutely satisfied that you, Eaton were the ring leader in all of this. Of that I have no doubt. You are a despicable and dishonest person.
"You have in the past demonstrated your dishonesty by stealing from work colleagues and you show despicable dishonesty.
"You Owen, took advantage in an extremely distasteful way of your brother and this is an appalling crime. Taking advantage of someone who cannot look after themselves, it is disgusting."
He added: "Neither of you had the courage to own up to what you had done, costing the public a huge expense by insisting on a trial. It is only when you lost your bottle on the day of the trial realising that the jury would find a way through your lies.
"As much as I want to jail you for a long time, I have to think about the victim in this case. He is a man of 62 who does not have a lot in life which makes your crime even more horrendous.
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to send you two to prison but I have to think about the victim. It is the fact that he is your victim that has saved you from going to prison today because I want him to have that money back.
"My leniency towards you is not because I think you two deserve it, you don't. But, he deserves it so I am going to defer sentence for six months.
"By that time I expect both of you to have obtained the £3,600 that you took from him and if that does not happen I will send you straight to jail."
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