Man, 72, jailed for 30 months for fraud totalling £275,000

A 72-year-old man from Barton-on-Sea has been jailed for two and a half years for three counts of business fraud, totalling £275,000.

Philip Andrew Whettingsteel, of Marine Drive East, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court last Thursday (11 January).

It follows incidents between April and September 2017, at the time of which Whettingsteel was a director of a business.

He provided misleading and fictitious information in order to borrow large sums of money from a lender based in Kings Worthy.

He handed over false invoices and lied about two contracts, which he stated were worth millions of pounds. All of this was done in the knowledge that he would never be able to repay the money he had been loaned.

As well as the custodial sentence handed down, Whettingsteel will also be banned from serving as a director of a business for a further six months.

Sentencing Whettingsteel, the judge refused to allow full credit for an early plea, stating that Whettingsteel had waited until the very last moment, despite having two years to acknowledge his guilt in this case.

Detective Constable Victoria Cobley, said: “I am so pleased for the victim in this case. They have waited almost seven years for justice to be served, and now it finally has been.

“As the judge stated while summing up, the impact of the offending and harm caused to the victim was serious.

“The victim has had to wait a long time to see Whettingsteel pay for his crimes, but their strong support during our investigation has helped to ensure that he is now behind bars, where he belongs.

“I know the victim is happy with the outcome, and I just hope that this result will enable them to move on with their life, safe in the knowledge that Whettingsteel can no longer do similar to anybody else.”

If you have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, you can report it to Action Fraud, any time of the day or night, using their online reporting tool. Reporting online is quick and easy.

The tool will guide you through simple questions to identify what has happened and their advisors are available 24 hours a day to give you help and advice should you need it.

Reporting fraud and cyber crime | Action Fraud

You can also report to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 Monday to Friday (8am - 8pm).

If you need to contact us, you can do so by calling 101, or by reporting online via the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website.

Report | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

You can also report incidents anonymously, by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)