Phone thief's sick prank to victim's parents

2:44pm Monday 28th May 2007

A MAN played a sick hoax by telling the parents of a 19-year-old woman that their daughter had been critically injured in a car crash.

Blackburn magistrates were told that Christopher Winard telephoned early one morning and lied that he was a family nursing liaison officer at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Sarah Carter's parents lived 300 miles away in Southampton and were left frantically trying to get information about their daughter, the court heard.

Emma Keogh, prosecuting, said: "You can imagine the anguish this caused.

"Her parents rang round all the hospitals in the North West trying to find their daughter and mum reported her missing because they could not establish where she was.

"I can't think of a worse thing that anyone could do to parents, particularly when they are so far away and so helpless."

It was not until Ms Carter spoke to her parents at 1.30pm the following day that their fears were allayed.

Earlier in the night Winard had befriended Ms Carter in Blackburn before stealing her handbag, containing her mobile phone, and getting her parents' phone number.

Mrs Keogh said Ms Carter had recently moved to Blackburn and had gone out with work colleagues, looking to make new friends.

During the evening she met Winard and, after visiting several town centre bars, they went to a nightclub.

Mrs Keogh said: "They entered together and he checked his coat, her coat and her handbag into the cloakroom and kept the ticket "They went into the main area of the club and he said he would go and get them a drink and that was the last she saw of him."

Ms Carter stayed at a friends house after her property had been stolen and did not return home until 1.30pm when she contacted her parents to tell them what had happened.

Mrs Keogh said: "She was totally shocked when they told her about the phone call and what they had been going through."

After being arrested, Winard told police he had no memory of the theft or the phone call.

Winard, 35, formerly of Blackburn but now living in Daisy Meadow, Bamber Bridge, Preston, pleaded guilty to theft and sending a grossly offensive message by electronic network causing needless anxiety.

He was made subject to community supervision for 18 months and ordered to pay £300 compensation to the girl's parents and £84 compensation to her.

Winard claimed to have a bipolar disorder which affected his memory and this was worsened by alcohol and not taking his medication, the court was told.

Aftab Bakhat, defending, said: "These were despicable, distasteful offences but I ask you to take into consideration his mental health and the effects of mixing medication and alcohol had on him.

"Taking drink with anti-psychotic medication is a recipe for disaster."