article_snippet.sent: ‘The benefit was £185,000 and the recoverable amount is greater than that
article_snippet.sent: You stole roughly £185,000 over a period of a year from nine victims who were all elderly and undoubtedly vulnerable.
article_snippet.sent: Plainly these are very serious offences which everyone agrees cross the custody threshold.
article_snippet.sent: You are of previous good character and someone who has suffered considerable personal tragedy.
article_snippet.sent: ‘Your wife suffered from cancer in 2005 and your son at only 19 went to Afghanistan to fight for Afghanistan and was the victim of an improvised explosive device that caused your son at only 19 very serious injury.
article_snippet.sent: In my judgement I am afraid these matters are so serious that I am not able to suspend the sentence.
article_snippet.sent: The best I can do is to pass a sentence of 15 months imprisonment.
article_snippet.sent: But for your personal mitigation a sentence of 15 months imprisonment would have been far longer.