Chauffeur jailed for defrauding Honiton-based entrepreneur who discovered Rubik's Cube

A chauffeur who defrauded £120,000 from a toy entrepreneur who discovered the Rubik's Cube has been jailed.

Russell Bleazard, 51, spent seven months conning ailing Thomas Kremer by siphoning money out of his accounts.

Kremer, a holocaust survivor who died in 2017, discovered Ern Rubik's cube at a trade show in 1979.

He licenced it with the 'Ideal Toy Company' and by 1983 the product had sold over 300 million cubes.

Bleazard conned the money from him to buy a fleet of five new vehicles, including three BMWs, for his business.

He used the cash to go on holidays to South Africa, Spain and Cyprus and also bought a self-cleaning toilet.

Bleazard plead not guilty but was convicted of two counts of fraud between January and August 2017 after a trial in November 2021.

He has now been jailed for twenty-seven months at Plymouth Crown Court.

Judge William Mousley QC told him: ''Thomas Kremer was a distinguished and elderly businessman who built up a successful business over many years of hard work.

"Over the last six months of his life you defrauded him of more than £100,000, taking advantage of access to his bank account, which had been provided to you by a member of his staff in the course of your legitimate work as a long-distance driver."

Bleazard and his staff began to give lifts to Mr Kremer to and from his home near Honiton, Devon - including up to London and the Lake District.

Bleazard was given his client's card details for his company, Seven Towns, which he used to transfer about £85,000 to the Regency Cars account and buy about £35,000 in goods and services for himself.

He was only discovered by Kremer's son, David Kremer, after the death of his father aged 89 in 2017.

David Kremer, who gave evidence at the trial said he was 'devastated' by the betrayal of his father and Bleazard's abuse of his trust.

He said that his father was a "kind, loving and generous" and an "astute businessman".