A Cardiff woman was sentenced on Thursday 14th June to 13 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to two counts of harassment and one count of unlicensed money lending.
Natalie Cox, aged 28, from Fairwater, Cardiff was also ordered to comply with an 18 month supervision order and to pay £300 costs. In addition, a restraining order was granted by the Court preventing Cox from having any further contact with her victims for a period of 3 years.
Cox had loaned money to a mother and daughter over a period of several months, totalling approximately £1000. The two women then repaid Cox at a rate of £125 per fortnight and, having parted with several thousand pounds, reached a point where they were no longer able to continue making payments.
Cox informed them that they had merely been paying interest off their loans and still owed the capital borrowed. The prosecutor for Cardiff Council explained to the Court that, as a result of their refusal to continue paying Cox, the women were subjected to harassment and threats made both in person and via text messages including a threat to break their legs.
In mitigation the Court heard how Cox had befriended the family. Nevertheless, the Magistrates sentenced on the basis that there were aggravating factors in the case including the pre-planned nature of the offending, the distress caused to both the victims and their children and the length of the period of offending.
Cardiff Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, Councillor Ashley Govier, said: “This sentence sends a stark warning to those engaged in illegal money lending that we will do all we can to tackle this despicable crime and will do everything in our power to ensure our residents do not become their victims. Loan sharks are motivated purely by greed. They do not offer a community service and cause nothing but misery.”
“Turning to a loan shark will never solve your money problems. Loan sharks don’t give you paperwork explaining the terms of the loan, and you have to keep paying them back until they decide you can stop.”
Cardiff Council’s Trading Standards team advise residents who are facing financial hardship to use the Cardiff and Vale Credit Union, a fundamental community service for all residents in Cardiff or the Vale of Glamorgan.”
Councillor Govier added: “It is well placed to give vital financial support to those who are in difficulty or who do not have access to a bank account, and as such is an ideal resource.”
