Stiff elbow postpones sentencing

A bank clerk avoided facing sentencing for her role in a �500,000 identity fraud because she had a stiff elbow.

Ruth Akinyemi, 23, was convicted in April of conspiracy to steal from Barclays customers by passing on their personal details to fraudsters.

She was on bail until sentencing on Tuesday but the Old Bailey was told she could not attend following surgery.

The judge said Akinyemi, of Enfield, north London, must return to court on 15 September for sentencing.

The court heard that she had had surgery as a result of a car crash and lawyers for Akinyemi asked for further reports in the light of her injuries.

I do not consider stiffness of the right elbow a good reason not to proceed to sentence Judge Anthony Morris

But Judge Anthony Morris refused saying: "This has been going on for four-and-a-half months.

"I do not consider stiffness of the right elbow a good reason not to proceed to sentence."

Jurors heard how Akinyemi took part in an "alarmingly simple" scam to defraud just seven customers all living within two miles of each other in Camden and Islington, north London, between July 2004 and April 2005.

Akinyemi, then 19, acted as the "inside person" passing on personal details to accomplices who then used the information to ring in to the bank posing as account holders and then transfer large amounts of money, totalling �500,000.

Two other defendants have been sentenced earlier this year in connection with the case.

Allen Strong, 31, from Croydon, south London, was sentenced to 120 community service for conspiracy to steal and acquiring criminal property.

Thomas Sfeffazi, 23, from Charlton, south-east London, was given a two-year suspended sentence for the same offences.

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