Holmfirth Man Guilty of Financial Abuse is Sentenced

On the 19^th March 2025, Jonathan BROOK of Holmfirth was sentenced to a 32 month custodial sentence at Leeds Crown Court.

On 9^th January 2025, Mr Brook pleaded guilty to one count of Fraud by Abuse of Position after being prosecuted by Kirklees Council following an investigation by the West Yorkshire Financial Exploitation and Abuse Team (WYFEAT), part of West Yorkshire Trading Standards. Mr Brook admitted to defrauding his mother of £60,306.67, by abusing his position of trust as Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). Brook used these funds for his own interests instead of his mother’s and left a substantial amount of care fees unpaid during this period.

His offending spanned from April 2019 to October 2022, during which time a large proportion of the funds was used by Brook on online gambling sites. WYFEAT began its criminal investigation into the allegations of financial abuse by Brook in relation to his elderly mother following notification that the LPA had been revoked by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) regarding concerns over his management of her finances.

At the time of the offending, Brook was acting as LPA for his mother, who was unable to manage her own finances, and therefore he was in a position of trust.

Financial enquiries were conducted, and it was established that Brook was transferring his mother’s funds to his personal bank account and spending it on online gambling. Following his mother entering a care home, Brook sold her home and transferred a large proportion of the proceeds to himself. During the offending period, he continually failed to engage with authorities regarding payment for his mother’s care fees which were not being paid.

The OPG also conducted its own investigation and found that Brook had misused his mother’s finances and revoked his Lasting Power of Attorney.

Linda Davis, Head of Trading Standards – Protecting Communities said ‘Jonathan Brook was in a significant position of trust, and he abused that position, using his mother’s money to finance his own interests, leaving her unable to fund her own care. The WYFEAT investigation on behalf of Kirklees Council clearly evidenced financial abuse and fraud by abuse of position and the sentencing today should serve as a warning that fraud will not be tolerated.’

Councillor Beverley Addy, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Kirklees Council said: “We are pleased with the resolution of this case of financial exploitation. Protecting vulnerable residents is a key priority for Kirklees Council, and we are committed to taking appropriate action whenever abuse is identified. I want to praise the staff and our service for their vigilance and diligence in highlighting this issue. I'm proud to see Kirklees Council Adult Social Care Service's priorities for safeguarding the most vulnerable members of our communities in action."