THE grandfather of a little girl who died in a barbecue accident stole her funeral fund for a flutter on the horses.
Thomas Spoors, from Wigan, who was looking after six-year-old Shannon Davies when she was fatally injured in the tragedy earlier this year, escaped with curfew and community orders after admitting the theft.
Shannon's stepdad today described Spoors as "sick scum".
Spoors, 56, of Stanley Place, Scholes, broke into his daughter Suzanne Davies's flat and stole hundreds of pounds in cash savings just two months after Shannon lost her battle for life.
He appeared before Wigan magistrates and pleaded guilty to burglary and stealing an unknown quantity of cash.
The money had originally been set aside for Christmas gifts, but after Shannon's death Suzanne and partner Glyn Gaskell decided that half of it should go towards the funeral costs.
They have just been notified that the DSS is prepared to foot £750 but that is only a little over half the cost.
Mr Gaskell said today that £550 had been taken in the raid and that only £250 of it had been recovered.
Shannon's funeral took place last month.
To add to the family's anger at the "lenient" sentence they were told that if they wanted to try to retrieve any more money they would have to take civil action.
An alcoholic and epileptic, Spoors was seen by Ms Davies near to her home, in Scholes, as she left to go shopping at around 2.15pm on Saturday, August 30.
Roughly two hours later a neighbour again saw Spoors near to his daughter's flat and, recognising him, innocently agreed to help the defendant climb through an unsecured first floor window so he could find a credit card he claimed to have left in the flat.
After leaving Spoors alone the neighbour became suspicious when he heard a loud crash from inside the property, the court heard.
Prosecutor Mike Ardern said: "The witness went back to the flat and asked Mr Spoors if he was burgling his daughter's flat, to which Mr Spoors replied 'Yes, keep your mouth shut and grab a handful'.
"The handful relates to a quantity of cash that was on the floor."
The court heard that the savings amounted to at least £450 in silver and change, a substantial portion of which had not been returned to the family.
Spoors, who at the time of the tragedy described how the family was distraught by the loss of their `little superstar' - was later arrested and immediately admitted to the offence, saying he would plead guilty when the case reached court.
Melissa Fagan, defending, said: "He's an alcoholic and he is epileptic and he has no recollection of how he came to commit the offence, although he does accept that it was he who was responsible."
Spoors was handed a six-month community order with a four-month curfew requirement, and ordered to pay £60 costs.
After the hearing Mr Gaskell said: "I don't think it is possible for anyone to stoop much lower than this: to rob your own family of money for your grand-daughter's funeral. You have to be sick scum, despicable to do this.
"I knew it was him straight away. He knew where we kept the money for the kids treats and the funeral. He went straight to it without disturbing anything else and then told his mates that it was money that he and his granddaughter had been saving.
"I tracked him down to the bookies and he admitted it straight out. We can't believe he wasn't more severely punished. And the fact that we will struggle to get the money back to cover the funeral costs just adds insult to injuries.
"He has betrayed us all, including Shannon, and he is not welcome anywhere near us."
Comments
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A frame in a empty room to strap him to and birch him until he bleeds is the only way to deal with this scum person, until we use these "Barbaric ways" things will only get worse.Its society that have created these people so the only way to deal with these people is to get as low as them to deal with these monsters.
hope he goes to hell for this and never be forgiven
Once again excuses, excuses from a drunkard and the magistrates fall for it. This man beggars belief. Evil is a word that is only just appropriate to describe him.
He is described as being epileptic, so are thousands of other people, what's that got to do with the offence? Being epileptic doesn't mean you become a criminal or have criminal tendencies. This man is beyond sympathy of any kind, a real low-life in every sense of the word.
This is just the lowest of the low words arent enough to be honest but its also very sad.
You despicable little man
you may not think Ace's ideas are very modern or politically caring, or perhaps caring enough, but the majority of this country would like to give them a go.
His poor daughter must be in bits loosing her daughter and then her own father doing this to her!
His poor little grandaughter would be so very proud of her lovely grandad.
He should now accept he has a serious problem and go to Gamblers anonymous
Unspeakably depraved.
The sentence does seem lenient but you have to accept that the full facts of the case were presented to the court and that was the sentence handed out.Unless opinionated MEN readers were actually in court then it is difficult to make a true judgement on this matter. Was the court made aware the money was in part to pay for a funeral?, the report doesn't actually say that. Is there anything worse the court could have handed down than being branded sick scum by a member of your own family.
Totally vile and such a low thing to do. I think his bad name and his family now ostracising him is worst punishment than prison.
When the day comes Spoors, you may well die a frightened lonely old man whose own paupers funeral is poorly attended if at all. Only then will you realise the despicable nature of your crime against your Granddaughter.
Right Ace!I couldn't agree more.
Just another dirty disgusting, thieving, evil person. No not really, what makes this worse is that he robbed his own deceased grandaughter. Sick to the core.
C.P.S. Should look into having it's sentence increased on appeal.
if it did that to someone i knew i would smash him all round the bookies and tie him to a lamp post and tar and feather him.
Spoors is...'An alcoholic and epileptic'...
The fact that this piece of scum is an alcoholic may well be relevant to this case, but why is the fact that he has got epilepsy a consideration?
Whoever is penning / editing the MEN stories needs to get into the 21st century. It hasn’t been acceptable to define somebody by their disabilities since the dark ages. Would your paper write that somebody is ‘a disabled’? I don’t think so. Sort it out.
if it did that to someone i knew i would smash him all round the bookies and tie him to a lamp post and tar and feather him.
Come on Stewart don't be coy, tell us what you really think.
but he was ok to look after the child the mother thought he was great till money got stole?
birch him in the town centre and ask an entrance fee and give all monies to the daughter.
This alcoholic and epiletic thing is no excuse at all i know people who are alcoholic and i know people who are elpiletics too and they dont go stealing , ace i couldnt agree more with you.
Id like to smash this guy all over too.
Get an appeal and get a custodial sentance saay 2 years in hmp forrest bank with hardened criminals tat will know all about this vile thing,hes not a man.
And the award for Mr Popular 2008 goes to......
this man is not a criminal, so please calm down.
Alcoholic & epileptic is no excuse, he just showed what he thought of his Granddaughter, he should have had is liberty taken from him for a while and left to cold turkey
disown him.
this man is not a criminal, so please calm down.
cris_
10/09/2008 at 18:20
Last time I checked cris, breaking and entering is criminal
I do think that some of the comments are OTT; its just a sad story about a sad man. I don't see how a prison sentence, a heavy fine or a birching would have any positive effect .... just look into the mans eyes
@big(ish) mac, not manchester
Yep, my point exactly.