When Noel and Margaret Foreman’s son offered to help them invest £120,000 that they had earned from the sale of a house, they thought it would be a good way to make some extra money for their retirement.
Unbeknown to them, their son Neil harbored serious resentments regarding disparity in the upbringing of he and his younger siblings. While his younger brother and sister attended private schools, Neil attended a public school. When he received the money, he set about evening the score.
Rather than invest the nearly $200,000, Neil spent it on luxuries that he had been forced to do without. He traveled the world, ate at Michelin-starred restaurants, and enjoyed fine wines, a Porsche 911 and golf lessons. When his parents asked to have their money back, they discovered that it was gone.
Noel Foreman explained to the Daily Mail:
We have always done the very best we could for each of our three children. It appears that Neil has formed the opinion that his brother and sister were treated differently in that they both had a private education. What he fails to appreciate is that at the time he was going to school I was a very junior police officer earning just £9.50 a week. Only when we went into business could we afford a better education for his younger brother and sister. Neil took £120,000 from us. He had promised to invest the money on our behalf. He said he would put it into a dormant account which he held with Northern Rock so it would yield a return.
Noel Foreman also noted that he paid for his son’s flying lessons and helped him with a deposit on his house.
Despite being ordered to repay £95,000 in November, Neil Foreman has thus far not done so, and has stated that there is “no money left”.
In a letter to his parents, Neil wrote:
You would probably say that the money has been wasted but I would disagree. I have had some outstanding holidays and experiences which I will always treasure and reflect on. You gave me the chance to do that and I am deeply grateful. No one can ever take those experiences away from me. There is no money to give back as a lump sum.
Neil Foreman, 52, is a former police officer who once received a Queen’s Award for Bravery after he was shot chasing an armed robber. He also worked for 16 years as a commercial pilot. He is currently a council planning officer.
