'Awful' Cornwall dad ruined daughter's life using shameful tactics

An "awful" dad who controlled his children's lives and took out thousands of pounds of loans in their names has been spared jail again. Jason Coleclough, 52, took out £24,000 in his daughter's name and controlled her finances into adulthood.

Coleclough, of Warspite Way in Marazion, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence on Thursday, November 28, having pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud by false representation. They relate to offences carried out using his daughter's account.

He was previously sentenced in 2022 during which the court heard he "brainwashed" his son and committed similar crimes. Prosecuting today's case, the court heard how Coleclough controlled both of his children's finances for several years, taking full control of their money and taking out loans in their names. He even changed his daughter's PIN so that only he had access.

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The eight offences he was sentenced for today took place between 2015 and 2018 and represent eight separate loans taken out by him. During this time he was the only person able to access his daughter's account despite her pleas to be in control.

At the time his daughter was working full time as a chef and her wages went into that account but he took full control of it from 2013 onwards. He told her that if he didn't she would be at risk of bank charges.

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It took her two years of requests before he finally gave her access and then the liabilities and loans came to light. While some had been repaid, some were outstanding and his victim incurred huge overdraft charges amounting to around £4,000.

In a victim impact statement, she detailed how it resulted in not only financial implications but also loss of trust in her father. At a police interview, Coleclough made no comment but when he did, he denied his actions and that any fraud had taken place.

In Coleclough's defence, his lawyer said it was "one big mess" and that he had been "an awful father to those two children" but that he was "misguided" and felt he should control his children's finances as his mother did the same for him. He said Coleclough had not committed an offence since 2018 and that he and his wife were in poor health.

"He's controlled those children's accounts and he's used their wages to run the family household over that period of time and they were oblivious to much of what was going on," he added.

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Robert Linford said Coleclough should have admitted to these further offences during the previous sentencing. "Those offences of fraud were committed in a particularly despicable manner.

"You'd taken over the bank account of your daughter and having done that you applied for various loans from various organisations which you'd got. She knew nothing about that and when the curtain was raised and she started to see it, it wrecked her financial life.

"She can't get credit, her credit score is shot and she was on the receiving end of debt collector letters. It was appalling offending. You'd also done it in relation to your son and in respect of that you appeared before this court before Judge Carr."

He sentenced Coleclough to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years.