Man, 33, jailed for claiming his ‘perfectly healthy’ mum had died from cancer

A man has been jailed for claiming his mum had died of cancer – despite her being alive and well.

'Manipulative' Jed Wheatley lied in a disgraceful bid to be treated more leniently by the courts.

The 33-year-old first made the 'truly shocking' claim that his mother was battling cancer to a probation officer.

It came after he had been handed a suspended sentence for a robbery in 2016, reports Stoke-on-Trent Live.

As a result, Wheatley, of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, was allowed to skip supervision appointments and unpaid work so he could travel to Coventry 'to care for her'.

But he then went one step further to claim his mother had died and that was the thrust of his barrister’s mitigation when he was sentenced for an assault on a man following a sexual encounter between them.

He has now been prosecuted for perverting the course of justice after his lies unravelled and the court received information that his mum was alive and well.

He was locked up for 27 months yesterday as his mother watched on from the public gallery.

Prosecutor Richard McConaghy said Wheatley was handed an 18 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, on December 23, 2016 for a robbery and was allocated a probation officer.

Mr McConaghy said: “On April 25, 2017 he told the officer his mother was suffering from cancer and he was having to make regular visits to see her in Coventry.

"That was a lie. His mother did not have cancer. She had cancer a number of years previously but she had been well for some time.

“He was to repeat that lie in supervision appointments in June 2017 and January 2018.

“He was allowed a significant degree of latitude.

“On February 21, 2018 he took matters one step further when he told his officer his mother had died and it had an adverse effect on his mental health. He claimed he was self-harming and abusing alcohol and drugs.”

The court heard the defendant committed battery in November 2017 and was sentenced on April 13, 2018 to a community order with 60 hours unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement for 20 days. 

Mr McConaghy said: “His counsel, acting on instructions, put forward that the defendant’s mother had been gravely ill in November 2017, the time of the battery, and he had been going to Coventry to assist with her care. He reiterated she had died.” 

But a week later, the defendant reported to his probation officer that his ex-girlfriend had been spreading lies about him saying he he had made up his mother’s death and he had received threats on Facebook .

Mr McConaghy said: “What he was doing was laying the groundwork for wriggling out of his lie.”

Wheatley pleaded guilty to doing an act intending to pervert the course of public justice between April 24, 2017 and April 14, 2018 and breaching a suspended sentence order.

David Farley, mitigating, said the defendant made a ‘silly mistake’.

Mr Farley said: “He got caught up in a stupid lie. He was obviously desperate at the time. Two years ago he was suffering from depression and had a bad drug problem. His relationship broke down.”

He added: “His mother is in the public gallery. She has forgiven him.

Judge Paul Glenn told Wheatley: “Your conduct came to light after the court received information that the mitigation submitted by counsel on your behalf on April 13, 2018 was untrue.

“Your mother had in the past suffered from cancer but makes it plain she has been clear of that for five years or more.

“You lied to your probation officer that your mother was ill, suffering from cancer and you were regularly visiting her. You were given an enormous amount of latitude regarding appointments for supervision and unpaid work.

“On February 21, 2018 you told the officer your mother had died.

“I take a very serious view of perverting the course of justice. This was not a spur of the moment decision. You are manipulative, you are cunning.

"These were calculated actions of someone who is totally dishonest. You lied to a probation officer and continued with that lie to deceive the court.

“The lie you chose to tell was despicable, contemptible. Frankly it beggars belief. The assertions you made were truly shocking. 

“It strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system and it must be deterred.”

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