Cheque Fraud: Mother of Four Pleads Guilty

In Magistrates Court this morning [Feb 16], 37-year-old mother of four Jahnika Talbot-Gardiner, pleaded guilty to nine counts of using cheques to defraud the Marketplace of goods and cash.

The Prosecutor said that the total amount involved was $4,700 with the offences occurring between 28 January and 24 February 2010. The Marketplace stores involved were in Southampton, Pembroke, and Shelly Bay.

All the cheques that were used were HSBC cheques and were supposed to have been issued and signed by the owner of Rockford Cycles. All the cheques were said to be made out to Ms Talbot-Gardiner. In connection with these offences, Ms Talbot-Gardiner was arrested on in February 2010.

Offering mitigations and asking for a Social Inquiry Report and psychiatric report, her lawyer, Mr Graveney Bannister, said that Ms Talbot-Gardiner, who lives at the Government Emergency Housing complex in Southside, was the mother of a 16, 14, and 2 year-old and also had a one-month old baby.

He also said that his client had said that there had been a personal relationship which led Ms Talbot-Gardiner to believe that she was owed the money for her services. Mr Bannister also said that there was another person, not yet before the Courts, who was said to be involved in this matter.

Chief Magistrate Archie Warner ordered a Social Inquiry Report and a psychiatric report, extended Ms Talbot-Gardiner’s bail and adjourned the matter to April 2011.

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