Fraudster lied to neighbour about being burgled in France

When Stuart Franklin was questioned or someone refused his offer on a car, he unleashed a series of vile messages falsely accusing people of being “paedophiles” and “child molesters”.

His series of offending between March 2020 and November 2021 caused a total loss to the value of £20,000.

At a Bournemouth Crown Court hearing, sentencing judge Recorder Clive Dow told the 56-year-old defendant: “I have no doubt that stealing from people, lying to them and then justifying that to yourself has almost become as normal to you as breathing.”

The judge said Franklin, who previously pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation, three counts of theft and two counts of sending an offensive, indecent, obscene, menacing message or matter, never had any intention to return the property or money he had taken from his victims. He was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment.

Stuart Franklin

Prosecutor Jonathan Underhill said the first offence in time took place in March 2020 when the defendant advertised a white Ford Focus on Gumtree under a false name but providing his telephone number.

A woman arranged for Franklin to come to her Wareham address with his vehicle but when he did so he said he had made a mistake and he still needed the car.

Conversations followed and he said he would help the woman sell her existing car as part of an exchange arrangement but he actually “simply intended to take it”.

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In August 2020, Franklin, of Albert Road, Corfe Mullen, responded to a Gumtree listing for a Yamaha motorbike stating he would buy it. The offender went to the home of the seller in Christchurch leaving a Ford car there while going for a test drive on the motorbike.

Mr Underhill said the Ford was in fact a hire car and Franklin went off on the motorbike and never returned.

The defendant was arrested in connection with both of these matters in December 2020. In interview he gave various accounts, blaming other people for his actions.

The court heard he was on bail when the other offences took place.

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The second theft offence took place in February last year when Franklin said he would be a mobile phone which was for sale online. He attended the seller’s home in Poole and obtained the phone from the victim’s partner. Mr Underhill said the offender gave assurances overpaying via bank transfer but this was a lie and he sold the phone.

Eight months later the final theft took place involving a Toyota Aygo, which he hired from Abacus Vehicle Hire in Ferndown, and never returned it, with the prosecution saying it was likely sold on.

Around a week later, Franklin defrauded his neighbour when he asked him to send him hundreds of pounds as he was in France and his money and travel documents had been stolen.

Mr Underhill told the court the defendant had claimed his room had been broken into and all os his personal items had been taken. The prosecutor said no break-in had in fact occurred.

Again the defendant gave various excuses and when the neighbour approached Franklin’s sister for answers, the offender sent various abusive messages.

The court heard these messages included abhorrent false allegations as well as threat to burn down his property.

A statement from the victim described the messaging as “chaotic and they didn’t really make sense”.

The final offence came to light after a person selling a car on Gumtree rejected Franklin’s offer and he decided to send similar abusive messages.

Franklin was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court

The court heard the defendant had 31 previous convictions for 93 offences.

None of the property or money taken was ever recovered.

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Nick Robinson, mitigating, said since returning from Thailand after a period of imprisonment, the defendant had been effectively homeless and living in a tent.

Mr Robinson said the offending was in the context of a “homeless man who had little regard for himself and therefore others”.

The barrister submitted that it would be in the public interest that Franklin was rehabilitated and this could be done best in the community.

“This is a very unwell defendant and he was clearly unwell at the time of the offending. It is not an excuse, but it does provided the court with a reason to reduce the culpability and therefore the sentence,” Mr Robinson said.

In a statement after the hearing, Detective Sergeant Tony O’Connell said: “Stuart Franklin deceived his victims into either paying for goods without receiving them or handing them over and not receiving payment.

“We fully appreciate the impact offending of this nature can have on the victims and I would like to thank all those who reported these incidents for their support during our investigation.

“With their help, we were able to compile evidence to bring Franklin before the courts and ensure he was held accountable for his criminal behaviour.”

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