Henpecked husband spared jail for stealing £205,000 to fund shopaholic wife's spending sprees

A husband stole £205,000 to fund his shopaholic wife's spending sprees, a court heard yesterday.

Anthony Walsh, 44, a senior loans adviser for HSBC bank, used his inside knowledge to take out fake loans in the names of family and friends.

But he was spared jail after a judge was told he had been the 'timid' victim of a domineering wife.

Under the thumb: Anthony Walsh stole £205,927 so his wife Deborah could buy 'vast amounts of clothes she never wore'

Judge Ian Alexander QC imposed a 300-hour community service order and added: 'You are clearly a basically honest man and never going to commit offences again.

'To those in the outside world who think I have been extraordinarily lenient, they are right.

'What's the point in sending you to prison other than to punish you? You have totally ruined your life. Justice can be done by not sending you to prison.'

Northampton Crown Court heard that Deborah Walsh bought 'vast amounts of clothes she never wore'.

She even arranged for an extension to be built, despite Walsh not agreeing to it. The couple have since divorced.

Michael Waterfield, prosecuting, said none of the people whose names were on loans, including Walsh's parents, were aware of it.

The deception came to light only when HSBC called Walsh's mother-in-law in September 2006 to warn that her loan payments were in arrears.

A woman whose son played for the same football team as Walsh's son found out her name had been used when the bank froze her accounts.

The court heard that Walsh, who worked at the bank's Woodhill branch in Northampton, was advised by his solicitor to say nothing when first interviewed by police.

But he later went back on his own and confessed. Walsh, of East Hunsbury, Northampton, admitted theft and was given a three-year community order.

Judge Alexander told him: 'You are undoubtedly a very timid man who suffers a lack of character and that enabled your former wife to place you in a rather invidious position.'

The court heard that Walsh has lost his home and £53,000 pension and still owes £149,000 to the bank, which is suing him in the civil courts.

Walsh refused to comment after the hearing but his father Peter, 71, said: 'We feel desperately sorry for him. He has been foolish but it's not his fault. His ex has ruined his life.

'If he had been spending the money on fast cars and holidays it would've been different, but he wasn't. She spent it all.

'Now his life is in tatters. He has nothing. It's really cruel. He desperately needs a job to get his life back on track, but we're just petrified no one will employ him.'

Most of the cash was used by his wife who would buy 'vast amounts of clothes she never wore', Northampton Crown Court heard.

Judge Ian Alexander QC took pity on him and said: 'I do not believe you would have embarked on this course of action if your wife had not embarked on her spending activity.'

Hugh Comerford, mitigating, described Walsh was 'timid' and easy prey to a dominating wife who even arranged for a building extension despite him not agreeing to it.

Michael Waterfield, prosecuting, said no one whose names were on the loans, including his parents and wife, were aware their names had been used.