GEORGEY BALL, THE SEX OFFENDER FROM TEESSIDE, RECOUNTS DECEPTION AND FRAUD INCIDENTS
A convicted sex offender from Teesside who left his victim burdened with debt after defrauding her of over £2,000 has been taken back into custody.Geoffrey Ball, 50, engaged in a series of lies to a woman he met while she was working at a petrol station, convincing her to lend him money with false promises of repayment.
His fraudulent claims included telling her that his sister was critically ill with Covid, for which he needed £300 to visit her, and that he required £100 to secure a puppy for her—all of which turned out to be false.
Ball pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud during a virtual hearing from Acklington Prison at Teesside Magistrates' Court.
He was previously placed on the sex offenders' register in 2010 after being convicted of touching and grabbing a woman on a train, and he also admitted to breaching the register conditions by failing to inform authorities of his move from his Teesside residence.
In December 2018, Ball received a sentence of three years and ten months.
Court reports revealed that he had used 35 aliases to fund his drinking and gambling habits, defrauded one woman out of £3,410 by claiming he had cancer, and lied to another woman about a solicitor who could prevent her children from being taken away.
Prosecutor Lynne Dalton told the court that in May last year, Ball, under the alias Peter Marsh, initiated a relationship with a woman working at a petrol station in Wales.
Over two months, he requested multiple sums of money: £600 for building materials to improve her house, £220 for locksmith repairs, £300 to visit his sister in Cornwall who was on a ventilator with Covid, £300 to go to Ireland to recover his stolen car, and £100 to purchase a puppy.
Ball admitted to all five fraud charges.
The victim estimated she had given him a total of £2,460, although she reported that she initially believed his stories, which she now sees as far-fetched.
She stated that Ball had told her his son was a solicitor who could help resolve disputes, only to later claim his son had died, leaving her in tears.
Ms.
Dalton recounted that the woman explained how Ball initially approached her at her workplace, asked for her number, and soon started calling daily and staying at her home.
She described him as charming and persuasive, making her feel flattered and emotionally manipulated into giving him money.
She said, "He had the gift of the gab, was a sweet-talker and really charming.
She was flattered and enjoyed speaking to him.
It was all very convincing.
She said she was emotionally blackmailed into giving him money." The victim also shared how Ball assured her he would repay her and claimed to earn £120,000 annually.
She recounted how, claiming he had lost his bank card, he asked for money to visit his sister, then later to travel to Ireland for his stolen car, which he said he had sold, but the funds were lost in a fire.
After about two months, she contacted the police.
Reflecting on the incident, she stated, "Looking back it seems so far fetched, but at the time I believed him...
I don't trust anyone anymore.
I am so devastated I could let this happen, I didn't think I could be deceived like this.
I feel violated having fallen victim to fraud and feel people will think worse of me because of that.
I have not told any of my friends or family about the incident, I feel ashamed and they will think I am stupid for letting this happen to me." Defence lawyer Nick Woodhouse explained that the breach of Ball’s sex offender conditions was due to him feeling compelled to leave his Teesside home because some individuals knew about an incident in Stockton, which he tried to report to the police.
He emphasized that Ball did not target the woman intentionally and acknowledged that he had not repaid the money.
Mr.
Woodhouse also noted that Ball had admitted to the offences early on and that he was suffering from health issues including high blood pressure.
The court sentenced Ball to 36 weeks in prison and ordered him to pay £1,520 in compensation.
