Legal News
Drug User Conned Widow Out of £35,000 (7 October 2011)
Date: 07/10/2011
A drug user conned a widowed legal secretary into giving him money, a court has been told. Bridget Macedonski gave Sukhvender Deo money during her trips to and from her place of work. Mr. Deo had told Miss Macedonski that he was homeless and did not have any money to get by. Her small acts of kindness led to relentless hounding by Mr. Deo, who was not homeless and was a regular drug user.
Miss Macedonski began providing Mr. Deo with handouts in April 2006. Shortly after, he started following her, pestering her for money. Mr. Deo intensified his campaign upon learning that Miss Macedonski’s husband had died. In 2007, Mr. Deo had successfully persuaded Miss Macedonski to give him her mobile number. He then began to call her and ask for money. Miss Macedonski was forced to remortgage to keep up with Mr. Deo’s demands and was eventually driven to relocating in an attempt to avoid Mr. Deo and his pleas for money. Mr. Deo told Miss Macedonski that he required cash to repay drug debts and he would be killed if she failed to provide him with the money he requested.
Mr. Deo admitted to harassing Miss Macedonski between January 2007 and May 2011, breaching an ASBO that had previously been used to prevent him from begging, and after calling Miss Macedonski from jail to request that she dropped charges, admitted to two offences of perverting the course of justice. Mr. Deo received a two-year jail sentence and handed a restraining order, banning him from contacting his victim.
Duncan Lewis’ criminal solicitors can provide a legal service for victims of harassment.