A former P.E.I. Presbyterian minister has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for his part in a scheme to defraud a vulnerable elderly woman.
Metroland Media Group is reporting that Harold Alan Stewart, 70, was sentenced on May 17 in a Durnham Region Superior Court.
Stewart had been found guilty of being party to a plan to defraud Ethel Hockett, 90, who died Feb. 21, out of thousands of dollars. Stewart and two co-accused got Hockett to take out a substantial line of credit, using her home as security, and took the money.
“Ethel Hockett was an extremely vulnerable victim,” said Superior Court Justice Jocelyn Speyer.
“Mr. Stewart used his stature as a minister to gain Mrs. Hockett’s trust.”
Though Stewart’s guilt has been established by the court, it was noted that it was co-accused Alexsander Budimirovic who was the ringleader of the fraud. He is still awaiting sentencing.
Stewart had no prior criminal record.
“(Stewart) has led an unblemished life devoted to the community – until he met Mr. Budimirovic,” said judge Speyer.
The third co-accused is Ashley Carlson. She has been sentenced to 90 days in jail, which she received permission to do intermittently.
The court noted that the victim suffered severe stress in her final years as a result of these crimes.
Stewart and the two other accused still face charges related to other fraud allegations but no trial date has been set yet.
