A COUPLE who scammed an old, vulnerable man out of more than £140,000 have been told a prison stay is “almost inevitable”.

Tim Casey and Emma Casey, both of Shelgate Walk, Woodley, defrauded the Wokingham man between April 2019 and February 2020 to fund their gambling pursuits.

A court heard how Emma Casey, 45, used the majority of the cash after the couple funnelled the £143,000 into a joint bank account over the 10-month period.

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She pleaded guilty to fraud back in October 2020 whereas Tim Casey, 53, denied the same charge.

However, the man switched his plea to guilty at a Reading Crown Court hearing yesterday morning (August 31).

His honour Judge Dugdale told the duo, who are parents, that it was “almost inevitable” they would end up behind bars.

He said: “You have both pleaded guilty to a very substantial fraud.

“He [the victim] was a man who was very vulnerable at the time.

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“You, Emma Casey, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity; Tim Casey, you left it late in the day.

“You need to start looking at this case and this position you are in with honest eyes.

“This was a fraud against a vulnerable man.

“The chances of both of you going to prison are very high.

“That’s a pill I can’t coat with sugar.

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“I’m not just saying this to frighten you, it is the truth.

“£140,000 taken from a vulnerable, old man. That’s dealt with by prison.”

The defendants will appear at Reading Crown Court again on October 5 for a pre-sentence hearing.