by Annette Wilson

A Ramsgate man who gambled away his father's money on fruit machines has been jailed for two years for what a judge said was a breach of trust at the highest level.

Terrance Alexander, 54, of Chichester Road appeared for sentence at Canterbury Crown Court having admitted fraud by abusing his position as attorney under an Enduring Power of Attorney between Janury 2007 and January 2010.

Prosecutor James Bilsland said Kenneth Alexander was a dementia sufferer in his 80s and was in a care home in Ramsgate. Matters came to light when Social Services were contacted by the defendant, who indicated he was having problems paying for his father's care.

When his father first went into care, he had been self-funding but in 2007 dementia was diagnosed and Enduring Power of Attorney was granted to Alexander junior.

Paperwork presented to Social Services was incomplete and showed a large number of transactions which Mr Alexander senior could have had no part in.

A house was sold in November 2007 for £90,000, but there was no trace of the money. Some payments were made to the home but arrears developed in relation to the care.

His bank account was £8,000 overdrawn and some £30,000 had been taken out in cash. Over £10,000 had been spent at filling stations, retail outlets and on BT line rental.

Police calculated £173,000 was not accounted for although this does not take into account the amount paid by the defendant to the home, said Mr Bilsland.

"He accepts a figure of £123,000. The entire proceeds of the house seems to have gone," he added.

Alexander had no criminal record and his lawyer, Charlotte Surley, said the hub of his offending was a gambling addiction to fruit machines.

He worked as a chauffeur and cab driver. His legitimate income was disappearing in terms of the gambling addiction and the family were in rent arrears so there was no suggestion of any kind of high life.

He bought the car to help his father get out and about but his health deteriorated and the defendant used the vehicle for his chauffeuring business. He had tried to pay some money in, but it was nothing in comparison to the misappropriation because of the gambling.

This came to light when money ran low and a request for funding revealed what had been going on.

"He did not obtain the Power of Attorney with the intention of defrauding his father and had attempted to make amends when he realised the gravity, but could not reimburse his father," said Miss Surley.

Until recently Alexander did not have a grasp of the depth of his gambling addiction and was surprised at the prosecution's figure.

She said there were family difficulties which would be exacerbated if Alexander was jailed.

Judge Adele Williams gave Alexander credit for his previous good record but said instead of using the money to pay for his father's care, he had used it to feed a gambling habit.

"This falls into the most serious category of theft with breach of trust at the highest level," she said.