Ex-banker escapes jail for multiple frauds and indecent assault

Saturday 27 August 2016

A former HSBC banker escaped prison by “a whisker” after admitting an indecent assault on a 14-year-old boy and nine fraud offences.

Carl Lewis Maton, 23, was handed 300 hours community service and an 18-month probation order, but was warned he would face immediate jail if he did not complete both sentences.

Bailiff William Bailhache today told Maton: “You have come within a whisker of a custodial sentence. Partly because of your current employment and your age and partly because you seem to be getting your life together you have not been sent to prison. It is very much an individual sentence, take advantage of it.”

Maton admitted indecent assault, eight offences of obtaining goods by deception, one of attempting to obtain goods by deception and four motoring offences. 

The Royal Court today heard Maton, who now works as a plumber, picked up and drove the boy to a secluded car park near Grouville in January 2015. 

Maton starting smoking cannabis and touched the boy on his upper thigh, over his trousers. 

Crown Advocate Sara O’Donnell said: “Less than two months after the indecent assault, the defendant committed eight dishonesty offences. At the time of these offences, from March 18th to April 2nd 2015, the defendant was employed by HSBC Bank as a Contact Centre Associate.”

Maton, who was earning £30,000-a-year at the time, was given the CVC code on the back of a customer’s debut card and started using it. 

He spent £2,068 on a mobile phone, flights, hotels and a computer processor and tried to charge a further £1,017 to the card, but this transaction was halted. 

Mrs O’Donnell said: “The defendant admitted to interviewing officers that he had carried out all the fraudulent transactions but claimed he had mistakenly used the customer’s details instead of his own. After a few weeks he realised his error and decided not to inform his managers of this. 

“The defendant admitted his finances were poor and he was about £10,000 in debt, which he managed using two loans.”

In January, Maton was spotted driving a car by honorary police officers in St Catherine’s and later admitted four motoring offences.   

Defending Advocate Mark Boothman said Maton’s crimes warranted a non-custodial sentence and a lengthy period of community service as “these frauds were wholly unsophisticated, indeed naive in the extreme.”

Mr Boothman added: “This was never a feasible plan. It cannot be said they were sophisticated in any way and they were aways guaranteed to be caught. 

“He found his education very difficult as he was bullied because of his weight issues and suffered severe bullying in relation to his sexuality. He has some difficult now in trusting and connecting with his peers. He is now with a male partner since last year and has matured significantly. He is in a stable job and a stable relationship. He no longer smokes cannabis and is no longer drinking and his family are extremely supportive towards him.

“He realises this is his final chance and his offending behaviour has to stop. If he puts a foot wrong he will face an immediate custodial sentence.”

In sentencing, Bailiff William Bailhache said: “Prison would not be in the best interests of the community, which is why we are to impose a community service sentence and probation order. 

“There is a pattern of dishonesty here and we have very real concerns about your approach to honesty.”