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A loan shark, Robert Reynolds, charged a woman a total of £88,000 over seven years to meet a debt of just £500 taken out to buy a computer.
Debra Wilson, a 40 year-old mother-of-four, suffered two strokes and a brain haemorrhage from the stress of owing the money to Reynolds.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that at one point Mrs Wilson and her husband Kevin were giving Reynolds more than £2,000 a month and were falling further and further into debt.
Loan shark Robert Reynolds outside Newcastle Crown Court after he received a 51-week prison sentence. Photo: PA
They took out more loans from Reynolds - seeing their monthly payments increase - and were even forced to re-mortgage their home to pay off council tax and utility bill debts.
Ann Richardson, prosecuting, told the court: "The final straw for Mrs Wilson was on January 23 2008 when her daughter came home with a bag of food leftovers from her babysitting job, saying she was sick of being hungry.
"There was no gas, the house was freezing and Mrs Wilson went to the police."
Reynolds, 39, of Cotswold Terrace, Stanley, County Durham, admitted a charge of harassment with intent to commit violence.
He received a 51-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was banned indefinitely from contacting the Wilson family.
Passing sentence, Judge John Evans said: "You are a loan shark. You are a person without a conscience and you should be stamped with a government health warning as anybody who comes into contact with you will be at risk of damaging their health.
"Your behaviour towards that family is beneath contempt."
Reynolds always maintained that he was acting as the "go between" between the Wilsons and another man - who he refused to name.
Police say Reynolds was lying and was using the cash he pocketed from the family to fund his own lifestyle.
The court heard that Mrs Wilson had first borrowed £500 from Reynolds - a family friend just before Christmas 2000 to buy her daughter a computer worth £350.
He told her there would be a "bit of interest" added but days later told Mrs Wilson that the person lending the money would want £750 in return for lending the £500 - and that would be payable the following month.
"Almost immediately Mrs Wilson began to have regrets and wondered if she would be able to make the payments on time," Mrs Richardson said.
Reynolds then told Mrs Wilson that she would have to pay £250 a month interest on the £500 debt until she was in a position to pay back the £750.
"This placed the Wilsons in an impossible position, every month the defendant attended their home on the date Mrs Wilson received her disability living allowance and collected £250," the prosecutor said.
"The couple had a real struggle to pay the bills and feed and clothe themselves and their children on the little money that remained."
By July 2001, Mrs Wilson and her husband Kevin had paid Reynolds £1,750.
The couple were unable to meet Reynolds' demands and spiralled further into debt.
"In early 2004, when handing over some cash to the defendant, Mrs Wilson told him it was every penny that she had," Mrs Richardson said.
"Nonetheless he took it, leaving Mrs Wilson wondering how she was going to feed the children that night.
"The couple got deeper into arrears, Mrs Wilson even borrowing money from her school age daughter, which she had earned by babysitting."
The stress of meeting Reynolds' demands each month put an intolerable stress upon Mrs Wilson and her family, the court heard.
In May 2005, she had a stroke followed by another one in August and then a brain haemorrhage.
"In November 2005 the payments increased from £1,200 to £1,500 per month," Mrs Richardson said.
"By Christmas 2006 there was no money to buy presents and extremely foolishly Mrs Wilson asked the defendant if she could borrow an extra £500.
"The defendant said he would have to ask 'the lad'. Later he said this was okay and the payments would now be £85 per week instead of £50 and the £1,500 still needed to be paid every month."
Reynolds even took £3,000 of a £4,000 compensation payout that Mr Wilson received for a motorbike accident - with only the weekly payments of £85 halving, the court heard.
"The final straw for Mrs Wilson was on January 23 2008 when her daughter came home with a bag of food leftovers from her babysitting job, saying she was sick of being hungry," the prosecutor said.
"There was no gas, the house was freezing and Mrs Wilson went to the police. Once the police were informed, Mrs Wilson went to the police station to make a statement.
"While there she received the usual phone call from the defendant about the payments. Pc Hulse listened in to this conversation, in which the defendant said 'the lad' would not like her paying less that month, he talked about liking his legs - a reference to what these people could do - and said he wanted £1,600 by January 31, £585 the following Friday and £85 that day."
Loan shark charged woman £88,000 for £500 debt - Telegraph
Debra Wilson, a 40 year-old mother-of-four, suffered two strokes and a brain haemorrhage from the stress of owing the money to Reynolds.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that at one point Mrs Wilson and her husband Kevin were giving Reynolds more than £2,000 a month and were falling further and further into debt.
Loan shark Robert Reynolds outside Newcastle Crown Court after he received a 51-week prison sentence. Photo: PA
They took out more loans from Reynolds - seeing their monthly payments increase - and were even forced to re-mortgage their home to pay off council tax and utility bill debts.
Ann Richardson, prosecuting, told the court: "The final straw for Mrs Wilson was on January 23 2008 when her daughter came home with a bag of food leftovers from her babysitting job, saying she was sick of being hungry.
"There was no gas, the house was freezing and Mrs Wilson went to the police."
Reynolds, 39, of Cotswold Terrace, Stanley, County Durham, admitted a charge of harassment with intent to commit violence.
He received a 51-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was banned indefinitely from contacting the Wilson family.
Passing sentence, Judge John Evans said: "You are a loan shark. You are a person without a conscience and you should be stamped with a government health warning as anybody who comes into contact with you will be at risk of damaging their health.
"Your behaviour towards that family is beneath contempt."
Reynolds always maintained that he was acting as the "go between" between the Wilsons and another man - who he refused to name.
Police say Reynolds was lying and was using the cash he pocketed from the family to fund his own lifestyle.
The court heard that Mrs Wilson had first borrowed £500 from Reynolds - a family friend just before Christmas 2000 to buy her daughter a computer worth £350.
He told her there would be a "bit of interest" added but days later told Mrs Wilson that the person lending the money would want £750 in return for lending the £500 - and that would be payable the following month.
"Almost immediately Mrs Wilson began to have regrets and wondered if she would be able to make the payments on time," Mrs Richardson said.
Reynolds then told Mrs Wilson that she would have to pay £250 a month interest on the £500 debt until she was in a position to pay back the £750.
"This placed the Wilsons in an impossible position, every month the defendant attended their home on the date Mrs Wilson received her disability living allowance and collected £250," the prosecutor said.
"The couple had a real struggle to pay the bills and feed and clothe themselves and their children on the little money that remained."
By July 2001, Mrs Wilson and her husband Kevin had paid Reynolds £1,750.
The couple were unable to meet Reynolds' demands and spiralled further into debt.
"In early 2004, when handing over some cash to the defendant, Mrs Wilson told him it was every penny that she had," Mrs Richardson said.
"Nonetheless he took it, leaving Mrs Wilson wondering how she was going to feed the children that night.
"The couple got deeper into arrears, Mrs Wilson even borrowing money from her school age daughter, which she had earned by babysitting."
The stress of meeting Reynolds' demands each month put an intolerable stress upon Mrs Wilson and her family, the court heard.
In May 2005, she had a stroke followed by another one in August and then a brain haemorrhage.
"In November 2005 the payments increased from £1,200 to £1,500 per month," Mrs Richardson said.
"By Christmas 2006 there was no money to buy presents and extremely foolishly Mrs Wilson asked the defendant if she could borrow an extra £500.
"The defendant said he would have to ask 'the lad'. Later he said this was okay and the payments would now be £85 per week instead of £50 and the £1,500 still needed to be paid every month."
Reynolds even took £3,000 of a £4,000 compensation payout that Mr Wilson received for a motorbike accident - with only the weekly payments of £85 halving, the court heard.
"The final straw for Mrs Wilson was on January 23 2008 when her daughter came home with a bag of food leftovers from her babysitting job, saying she was sick of being hungry," the prosecutor said.
"There was no gas, the house was freezing and Mrs Wilson went to the police. Once the police were informed, Mrs Wilson went to the police station to make a statement.
"While there she received the usual phone call from the defendant about the payments. Pc Hulse listened in to this conversation, in which the defendant said 'the lad' would not like her paying less that month, he talked about liking his legs - a reference to what these people could do - and said he wanted £1,600 by January 31, £585 the following Friday and £85 that day."
Loan shark charged woman £88,000 for £500 debt - Telegraph
