Paul Flowers, a former chair of the Co-operative Bank, has been jailed for three years for defrauding a vulnerable friend out of £100,000.
Flowers, who was also a former Labour councillor and Methodist minister, withdrew cash and paid for goods and services from a friend’s bank account before and after she died.
He was jailed today at Manchester Crown Court following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police.
It was found that the transactions made by Flowers were not for the benefit of his friend, Margaret Jarvis, who in 1995 gave him power of attorney over her finances and named him as an executor in her will.
Her health worsened and, in November 2012, the power of attorney took effect, and Flowers began to manage Jarvis’ financial affairs.
Flowers used her accounts for legitimate purposes such as paying for her care, but also used the accounts as though they were his own. He was found to have paid for a number of things including theatre trips, wine and a cruise.
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Jarvis died in October 2016, aged 82, and Flowers continued to take money from her estate after her death.
The transactions were revealed when the Co-operative Bank was asked to repay an overpayment of her pension because Flowers did not inform them of her death.
This was investigated and it was found that there were transactions that did not seem to be for Jarvis’ benefit. The account was blocked, and the police began to investigate.
Flowers was arrested and made no comment in his police interview, but later pleaded guilty to 18 counts of fraud on 25 July 2024 at Manchester Crown Court.
In 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banned Flowers from financial services after he was found to have sent sexually explicit messages, discussed illegal drugs using his work email account, and used his work phone to call premium-rate numbers.
He was chair of the Co-operative Bank between 15 April 2010 and 5 June 2013, and in 2014 was charged with the possession of drugs.
Jayne Sharp, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “Paul Flowers appeared to be a pillar of the community as a former Methodist minister, local councillor and bank director.
“However, the trust and confidence Ms Jarvis had in Flowers when she named him as executor of her will and gave him power of attorney was sorely misplaced.”
She added: “He carried out a systematic fraud over a period of six years, seemingly motivated by his darker side; in particular, his addiction to class A drugs.
“Flowers stole a significant sum of money from his friend, with no thought for her, her family or the charities she had chosen to support after her death.
“He will now face the consequences of his actions.”
