A fraudster who instilled fear in a vulnerable man by taking over his home has had his prison sentence increased by the Court of Appeal.
Frankie Maughan was initially sentenced to 20 months at Warwick Crown Court in June after pleading guilty to robbery and fraud.
The 22-year-old regularly visited his victim’s residence in Rugby, Warwickshire, threatening him with a machete unless he provided access to his bank card. During a two-month period, Maughan misappropriated over £3,600 of the victim’s money to fund his food, hotel stays, and taxi rides.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) referred Maughan’s case to the appeal court, claiming the original sentence was too lenient and failed to account for the severe psychological distress experienced by the victim.
Lawyers informed the court that the victim, a man in his 50s with mobility issues, had also suffered damage to his home, which had become extensively soiled by Maughan’s dog. They revealed that Maughan’s actions left the victim in such fear that he believed he might die, prompting him to leave a note with his sister’s contact information.
Nick Devine, Maughan’s defense lawyer, acknowledged that the initial sentence was light but argued it was not excessively lenient. He noted that Maughan was between 19 and 20 years old at the time of the crimes and struggling with drug addiction.
The judges ultimately decided to increase Maughan’s sentence to four-and-a-half years. Warwickshire Police expressed their approval of the extended sentence, describing Maughan’s actions as a “horrific attack on a vulnerable man in his own home.”