Blackmailer avoids jail after £24k fraud in Buckley
Thomas Robinson received a suspended three‑year sentence for exploiting a vulnerable woman and extracting over £24,000, with compensation and restraining orders imposed.
Thomas Robinson, 31, of Princess Avenue, Buckley, received a suspended three‑year custodial sentence after pleading guilty to blackmailing a vulnerable woman out of more than £24,000. The case was heard at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, where the victim, whose identity is protected, gave evidence of relentless contact over several months.
Prosecutors said Robinson began by asking for modest sums, then escalated to demanding money three or four times a day, leaving the woman with missed calls and messages at all hours. In total the victim transferred over £24,000 in 60 separate transactions, often after Robinson threatened self‑harm or claimed he was “in trouble”.
The victim’s impact statement described how she had simply tried to help someone in need, but Robinson’s conduct left her feeling “worthless” and embarrassed, adding that the loss “changed her as a person”. The judge, Recorder Neil Owen‑Casey, called the conduct “callous”, noting that Robinson had deliberately exploited the woman’s vulnerability.
“You recognised her vulnerability, and manipulated that”. Everything you told her, she believed.
You used that to your advantage.”
The court heard that many of the threatening messages were sent in the early hours, a pattern that heightened the victim’s distress”. Robinson admitted to police that he had taken the money and that he was under pressure from outstanding debts, cocaine misuse and gambling.
Defence solicitor Simon Rogers argued the offence was not a pre‑meditated targeting of a vulnerable person, but an opportunistic exploitation of a situation that arose after initial contact. “The reality of this case,” he explained, “seems to be that the defendant took advantage of a situation that arose following his contact with the complainant.”
Rogers also highlighted Robinson’s guilty plea as a mitigating factor, describing it as “the best mitigation is obvious; it’s his guilty plea”.
He added that the defendant had a stable address and employment, and had offered to pay compensation at £300 a month. The judge rejected a custodial term, reasoning that a suspended sentence combined with community orders would better manage the risk of re‑offending.
“It seems to me that the better way of managing you is not sending you to prison – you can pay compensation to the victim and pay back to society for this.”
Robinson was ordered to serve 20 rehabilitation activity days, 250 hours of unpaid work and a six‑year restraining order preventing any contact with the victim. He must also pay a total of £10,800 in compensation, calculated at £300 per month over three years, a sum the judge said balances his ability to pay with the victim’s loss.
“I have to balance your ability to pay that and to ensure the victim has a clear understanding of what’s going to be paid,” the judge said. The suspended sentence means Robinson will not be returned to prison unless he breaches the conditions, a decision the court said reflects both the seriousness of the abuse and the need for rehabilitation.
The case underscores growing concerns about financial exploitation of vulnerable adults in North Wales, prompting calls for tighter safeguards and awareness campaigns.