Refugee 'Abused British Hospitality'

A SOMALIAN refugee who paid two cheques stolen from a Northampton-based company into his own bank account has been jailed for 18 months.

Ahmed Gurey, aged 37, was told he had abused British hospitality by committing the crimes.

Cheques valued £6,630 stolen from the Blacks Leisure group in Northampton were paid into his account. He was caught when a third cheque was stopped as it was paid in.

Matthew Brookes-Baker, prosecuting at Northampton Crown Court, said staff at Blacks Leisure thought the cheque book had been locked away but only noticed it had been stolen after two cheques had been cashed.

Gurey paid in a £5,720 cheque on May 12, 2005 and a £910 cheque on May 27, 2005, but when he tried to pay in another one for £4,500it was stopped and Gurey was easily traced.

Gurey, of Harborough Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, who now works as a security guard in London, denied two offences of obtaining a money transfer by deception and attempting to obtain a fraudulent money transfer.

Passing sentence, Judge Ian Alexander QC said: “You have abused the hospitality this country has given you. It is clear to me you do not consider you have committed any crime.

“These offences are a matter for concern; in this day and age this type of offending has become more frequent.”

Since arriving as a refugee in 1998, the court heard Gurey had learnt English and had worked hard so his family could join him here.