A callous thief who stole almost £6,000 using his mother's chequebook and credit card while she lay seriously ill in hospital is facing jail after admitting 19 separate counts of theft and deception.

Jonathan Haynes, 21, of Park Avenue, Mitcham, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, April 23, on charges of theft and obtaining money transfers by deception using a chequebook and credit card belonging to his 57-year-old mother.

He admitted signing her name on six separate cheques, netting him a total of £2,020, between October 7 and November 12 last year.

Haynes also pleaded guilty to 11 counts of theft relating to money he stole from Barclays Bank in February using his mother's details. He became so adept at pilfering cash that he managed to con the bank out of £3,250 in a fortnight after making 11 separate withdrawals.

He admitted a further count of obtaining services by deception by opening a mail order account using false details and another of obtaining property by deception after buying a leather jacket worth £400 on his mother's credit card.

At the time of the thefts, Haynes was living at his mother's address while she was seriously ill in hospital and he had access to her chequebook and credit cards. Police arrested him when the bank contacted a social worker after becoming concerned about the massively overdrawn account.

A spokesman for Merton police said: "To do that at any time and in any way is bad, but for a son to do that to his mother is a pretty awful thing especially while she is in hospital."

A further nine charges of obtaining property by deception, which Haynes pleaded not guilty to, were ordered to lie on file. His mother was discharged from hospital before the hearing but did not attend court. Haynes spoke only to confirm his pleas to the charges and was remanded in custody until June 4, when he will be sentenced.

April 30, 2003 11:30