Identity and bank theft fraud

[Guest]

I am going to hand myself into a police station tomorrow. I have done horrendous things to members of my family. I have applied for credit in their names / loans / credit cards / bank accounts. Not only that I stole money from from my grandparent leaving them with nothing. This wasnt for personal gain to live a life of luxury. I gambled it all even leaving myself without rent. It totals to around 17k over the space of 2 years. It all started when my mum died, i never ever got over it. All of a sudden i had this impulse to find money to play online slots. Infact it started when she was in marie curie a month before she died. Then I started drinking alcohol because the guilt and depression of what I was doing was killing me but i didnt stop. I kept thinking il do this to pay that off and then it will be ok but it never happened. I hid this from everyone. Painted on a smile and pretended all was**fine. I even lost my job ide had for years over my mental state because i lost the ability to function when she died. There is no excuses for why i done any of this and im not using her death as an excuse but it was a trigger point. I stopped talking about how i was feeling and became a person i dont recognise to this day. Ive contacted a solicitor this evening who is going to accompany me to the police station to admit everything. My question is what type of sentence would i be looking at? I know i will be punished but i have 2 young children one is 5 months old who live with me.*

[Amethyst]

Have you spoken with your family about all of this ?

Worth speaking with Gamcare too -National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133). - they can offer counselling and support.

Ill tag des8 regarding your police station visit as I don't really know how that works, or whether it is the right thing to do - it will certainly help you draw a line under everything that has happened and hopefully start you on the road to recovery.

Are you a single parent to your children ?

[des8]

sorry to hear of your problems, but it is positive that you realise you have problems and are facing up to the consequences of your actions.

Pleased to see you will be accompanied by your solicitor when you visit the police. I assume he agrees with your intention.

*Your voluntary admittance to the police will stand you in good stead if the matter reaches court.
If your family refuse to cooperate with any police investigation they might not obtain sufficient evidence to take it as far as court, (although of course there is the attitude of the credit card and finance companies to consider)
If it does proceed to court, there are so many mitigating circumstances I doubt it will result in an immediate custodial sentence. IMO* at the worse it could be custodial suspended for X months*with various conditions

Don't underestimate the effect of bereavement and depression to push people into courses of action they would normally shun
Addiction to anything, alcohol/gambling or even mints drives the victim to satisfy that craving by any means

[wales01man]

Speak to your family first you will be amazed how much help they can give you leaYour children are what matters most keep them safe ve the police out of this for now,For all the problems you have there is help ask for it yourself or use the help this forum can give just ask Your children are most important now the problems are now the children are forever keep them safe and care for them.

*Pkease return here for help others will be here for you

[Annon90]

Hi i posted the original question but it wouldnt let me respond with registering an account. I am a single parent to my children. The childrens dad my husband left me because i had turned into a person he didnt like any more. I didnt talk to him anymore, stopped looking after myself, i stopped wanting to go out, didnt want to see people or have any conversations so he left. He did put up with me for years. Especially when my mum died i was in the darkest of places. I personally don't have my own solicitor i contacted one yesterday to accompany me. I need to go to the police, to show some sort of remorse. I am devastated at the person i have turned into. I miss the old me. The worst part about it all is I am the most thoughtful caring person. Eventhough my actions of the past 2 years wouldnt demonstrate that but I am. I have wanted to admit what I was doing, get help but something always stopped me. Probably fear of losing my children who i cherish in the world more than anything. If I dont go to the police, get some mental help or something I am going to be this person who feels dead inside and my children deserve better. I am just absolutely terrified. I cant remember the last time I ate or slept properly without the need of phenegan night time. Which now have no effect. I also now chain smoke, 40 cigarettes a day at the age of 30. My mum died of lu g cancer aswell, the most painful horrific death you would ever witness but I just cant stop anything. Even though in my heart I want to so badly I just have this impulse its hard to describe. I am terrified I will go to prison, my childrens dad does have the kids but hes never bathes them, doesnt get them dressed etc i have to do everything but thats fine. I just cant not be with them. I dont know if I will ever be able to work again with this charge pending especially in my line of work so i dobt know how i will ever pay this money back but I will try.*

[Annon90]

Just an update, my solicitor has advised me not to go to a police station by any means and hand myself in. He said for one they might not even deal with me and i could be waiting for hours on end for a member of the police to even talk to me. To which he said he wouldnt be able to wait with me. He said to wait for the police to contact me. Im not saying this is bad advice because its obviously from a legal stance but surely it would be better in front of a judge that I opted to admit what I have been doing rather than wait for the police to arrest me?

[wales01man]

Forget the Police at the moment concentrate on your children and get help for the problems you have that started this help is out the please seek it out
*

[des8]

*The police won't be arresting you unless someone has reported your wrongdoing, and even then you won't be arrested but invited to visit them at your local station.
At that point you tell them you will make an appointment to attend with your solicitor, or if you can't afford one you request the duty solicitor attends.
This is free and is your right.
Do not attend without a solicitor, even if the police say it is just a friendly chat to sort things out.
In this instance the police are not your friends.

It really sounds as if you should see your GP and seek help as suggested by @wales01man*
He/she will not be shocked or judgemental as it has all been heard before.

As Amethyst you would probably be better of confiding and confessing to your family (or at least one of them to start with).
Yes, it will be very difficult but it would be better coming from you rather than the shock of a policeman or a finance house telling them.

At this stage don't worry about the judge, if handled correctly it might never reach that stage.
However if you do nothing......