A Colchester man defrauded Dunelm via fake plant pot returns to pay off a £110 debt. He received a new sentence.
He went to court on Tuesday. He bought plant pots in November. He returned later and took more, then pretended to return them for money.
The court heard Clement made £110. He then stole duvet sets in January. He had prior convictions from 2022 and already did unpaid work.
Clement admitted fraud and theft charges. His lawyer explained Clement sends money to his sick mother in Ghana, who needs care.
His lawyer said Clement has a family, a mortgage, and a job. The cost of living impacted him significantly. His mortgage payments increased a lot, and other bills also made things tight.
He paid council tax and child support. He covered utilities and kids’ activities. He had little money left each month. His wife now works too, as an optician’s assistant.
Clement had done some unpaid work already, with 78 hours out of 120 remaining. The court changed his sentence by revoking the old work order.
He must now do 120 hours of work. He also must pay £110 to the store.