Ryedale thief warned he faces jail sentence after defrauding visually impaired friend

Arron Bairstow, 24, a former student from Malton, would regularly visit the victim to watch football on TV but was secretly taking his bank card to withdraw cash, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Kelly Clark said Bairstow made various trips to a convenience store and other locations to withdraw various amounts on 12 separate occasions between September and November last year.

The fraud, described as “vile and atrocious”, included the purchase of goods, added Ms Clark.

The total loss to the victim amounted to £1,830, but the psychological toll was profound, said Ms Clark.

She said that Bairstow befriended the victim, who was “severely” visually impaired and had a carer, in 2021, and they regularly met up to watch football.

But on November 11, the victim, also from Malton, discovered that a large sum of money had gone missing from his bank account.

The victim, with the help of his assistant, informed police who launched an investigation which laid bare Bairstow’s betrayal of his friend.

“On 12 separate occasions (over a two-month period) the defendant attended (the victim’s) address and took his bank card,” said Ms Clark.

Bairstow would “excuse himself” and go to the nearby McColl’s convenience where he would withdraw money from the victim’s bank account from an external cash machine.

“He would then return to the victim’s address and replace the bank card,” added Ms Clark.

Bairstow, of Birch Avenue, was brought in for questioning and admitted the wicked offences.

“He was remorseful and said he was in a bad state due to alcohol and drug problems,” said Ms Clark.

The victim said he was “really angry” at his former friend for routinely stealing from him, particularly as he was visually impaired.

“I had previously voluntarily lent him money when he was in a difficult place and he…(was) struggling to pay bills,” he added.

“In the summer of 2022, he had seen my PIN and was with me at the cash machine when I was (previously) lending him this money.

"He said he would pay me back but never actually did.”

He said that Bairstow had “clearly taken advantage” of him and would make excuses to visit him, pretending to be concerned for his welfare, only to steal “vast amounts” from him.

“He would repeatedly ring me on Facebook as well,” added the victim.

“I wonder now if it was because he needed money and saw me as an easy target.

"He had no regard for my wellbeing or personal situation.

“I’ve become more reclusive. I haven’t been able to get my money back from the bank.”

He said he had also struggled to pay bills and his rent due to the thefts.

Bairstow was charged with 12 counts of fraud and the same number of thefts.

He admitted all the offences and initially appeared for sentence earlier this month when judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, deferred sentence and gave him a fortnight to avoid jail by paying back an initial tranche of £700 and finding a job.

Today, after the two-week deferment period, Bairstow was back in the dock, but sentence was postponed again after the court was told he had not yet found employment.

Ms Clark said that Bairstow had paid back the requisite £700 to the victim but the total balance of £1,830 was still outstanding.

Furthermore, defence barrister Eleanor Durdy said that Bairstow had failed to land a job despite telling the judge at the previous hearing that he had one lined up at a factory.

She said that Bairstow, who was educated to degree level, had never been in trouble before but found himself unemployed after taking a “very disastrous wrong turn in his life”.

At the first hearing in early May, judge Mr Morris told Bairstow he would consider suspending the inevitable jail sentence if he met the two criteria.

He told Bairstow: “This was an absolutely atrocious breach of trust (for) which you richly deserve to go to prison.”

Today, he repeated his warning that he would lock Bairstow up if he didn’t find a job and pay up in full.

“I want this man to have his money back,” added Mr Morris.

“It was a vile offence.”

He deferred sentence for another six months but told Bairstow he would go “straight to prison” if he didn’t fulfil his obligations.

Bairstow will appear for sentence on November 17.

He was granted bail until then.