Fraudster awaiting sentence

When convict John Bancroft reappears before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant on September 9 it is expected he will tell “the truth” about his reason for having a fake sponsored sheet in his possession.

Back in June the 43-year-old of Odessa McClean Drive, My Lords Hill, St Michael pleaded guilty to having a sponsored walk sheet bearing the stamp of the Family Care for the Disabled, a registered charity, for use in the course of criminal deception, while he was not at his place of abode on June 14. He has been on remand since then.

Today prosecutor Kenmore Phillips revealed that Bancroft was seen on Nursery Drive asking passersby for monetary donations.

He was taken into custody and told police he got the fraudulent document from a woman. However, he snatched the sheet from police and destroyed it while being interviewed.

When asked if he wanted to say anything in his defence this afternoon Bancroft began with an apology.

“First I would like to apologise. A lady that I trusted gave me the sheet [and] told me to collect some sponsors for her. I never knew it was an illegal sponsored walk sheet until the police came to me with it and I told them exactly where I get it from. I had it in my possession so I pleaded guilty,” said Bancroft who is known to the court.

“It is nothing that I go about doing, asking for a sponsor . . . that is not my field ma’am,” he said to the amusement of those in court.

He added, “I was helping out for a good cause, I didn’t know it would put me [before] the court.”

Bancroft failed to convince Magistrate Cuffy-Sargeant with that explanation and was remanded until September 9 for sentencing.

“When you come then I would like you to speak the truth,” she told him.