Rhyl man jailed for exploiting adults with learning difficulties

Ian Jones profited a total of £45,647.43 in a series of “very mean” offences spanning seven years.

Jones, 61, of Bedford Street, was jailed for two years at Mold Crown Court today (February 12), having admitted seven counts of fraud by false representation.

Prosecutor Richard Edwards said Jones was employed as a support worker for adults with learning difficulties residing in supported accommodation in Flintshire, and used seven of these individuals’ detail to open bank accounts and obtain cards in their names.

This happened between December 2013 and November 2020, when suspicions were eventually aroused and Jones’ home was searched.

Jones used these cards and accounts to buy items such as jewellery, a television and furniture, and to undertake home improvements, such as a new kitchen and driveway.

Ian Jones arrives at Mold Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

When his offending started, Jones was employed by Premier Homecare North Wales Ltd, but he left this company in 2015 to work for Flintshire County Council.

He was dismissed by the council in 2019, and then gained similar work with learning disability charity Mencap and Wrexham County Borough Council.

Jones’ offending first came to light after one of his victims, Brian Davies, received a letter addressed to him about a £25 mobile phone debt, despite him not owning a phone.

Another victim also received a letter from a finance company about debt of nearly £370 - when that company was contacted, the address given was Jones’ home address.

His home was searched in December 2020, when various financial documents, cards in the name of some of his victims, and more than £9,000 in cash, were recovered.

Jones gave no comment to police on the three occasions when officers interviewed him.

Simon Smith, of Connah’s Quay, had his details used by Jones to obtain a loan of £1,550, which he used to buy a luxury watch.

Paul Davies, from Deeside, was used by Jones for a financial gain of £23,335.17, with 12 accounts opened in his name.

Brian Davies, from Mynydd Isa, who had Down syndrome and died in 2023, had Currys and Virgin Mobile accounts opened in his name by Jones.

Ben Oliver, also from Mynydd Isa, requires 24-hour care – Jones amassed £17,642.78 in his name, including a loan for a new driveway.

Three other individuals; Adam Gilowski, Paul Hughes and Shaun Burrows; were also taken advantage of by Jones, who benefited sums between £296 and £938 for each of them.

One of Jones’ victims said he will no longer accepts new support staff due to trust issues, and is wary of people coming to his door in case they are bailiffs.

A second victim, who considered Jones a “friend,” said he felt “let down” by him, and became “anxious and upset” when he started receiving letters from debt collectors.

Jones’ five previous convictions included for offences of obtaining property by deception in 1995 and 2003, and for theft from his wife in 2023.

Representing Jones, Simon Rogers said the defendant has written a letter of apology to the court and has undergone therapy.

Jones is currently working as a hotel receptionist, while his relatives also wrote letters of support for him.

Mr Rogers conceded that Jones’ offences were “very mean,” but asked the court to consider his guilty pleas, his “genuine remorse,” and his “acceptance of responsibility”.

He said Jones had a “troubled background,” with a “particularly difficult” childhood and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Mills told Jones: “You behaved in a truly dreadful manner, over a period of years, in respect of a significant number of very, very vulnerable people.

“There was a high degree of trust placed in you to treat them with respect and deal with them in a proper and honest way, but you systematically exploited the vulnerabilities of these people.

“This wasn’t just a one-off piece of succumbing to temptation. This was serious dishonesty, committed over a lengthy period of time against vulnerable people, and in breach of every single tenet of your employment.

“What you did was so serious that adequate punishment can only be achieved by your sentence being served immediately.”

A further hearing will take place on June 22 with a view to recovering some of Jones’ ill-gotten gains.