Gambler Could Face Prison Time for Swindling "Thunderbirds" Creator
In the UK, a carer stands accused of pocketing £75K (around $95K) from an acclaimed writer and director, Alan Patillo, to fund his inclination for lottery tickets.
Allan John Beacham, 66 years old, admitted to the theft in January of this year. Patillo had employed Beacham as a full-time carer.
Patillo was a renowned figure in the TV industry, penning and directing the '60s show Thunderbirds, and its predecessors Supercar, Fireball XL5, and Stingray. He is widely recognized for his innovative use of electronic marionette puppetry in Thunderbirds, which became a target for parody by the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, in Team America: World Police. Further to this, Patillo was a sound editor on Nicholas Roeg's cult classic counterculture film, Performance, and Pink Floyd's surrealist musical, The Wall.
He achieved widespread recognition for his work on the 1979 anti-war mini-series, All Quiet on the Western Front, earning him an Emmy Award.
Trial Disturbances
As Patillo battled stage-5 Parkinson's disease and complete immobility, Beacham is said to have pilfered funds from his care recipient.
During a trial last summer, it emerged that Beacham transferred more than £75K from the writer's bank accounts over a two-year period from January 2017 to June 2019. Patillo succumbed to his illness in January 2020 at the age of 90.
Beacham initially denied the allegations, but his first trial deteriorated after a string of chaotic episodes. These incidents included the defendant claiming to be too sick to continue with the trial only to drive 150 miles back home in another hearing. In a subsequent hearing, he collapsed in the courtroom while listening to the prosecution's evidence.
Steady Course towards Justice
During Beacham's second trial in January, he changed his position to pleading guilty to the charge. However, when he stood before the judge for sentencing in March, he contradicted his earlier plea, asking the judge to allow him to retract it.
His legal representative sought to adjourn the case so that Beacham could obtain a medical opinion from his doctor. However, Judge Adam Feest at the Winchester Crown Court baulked at the proposal.
Judge Feest remonstrated, stating, "The basis is not that the defendant was poorly advised or had any pressure put on him. In my judgement, this application should be refused. The defendant had ample time to obtain medical evidence. Even if this was obtained, he still entered a voluntary guilty plea."
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for June 21 and Judge Feest presaged a likely prison sentence for Beacham.
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