Judge: ‘You took advantage of your own mother and grandmother’
Pair’s victim was 97 and almost blind
A VULNERABLE pensioner had her bank account drained of £20,000 by her own daughter over seven years and had almost £3,000 stolen by her granddaughter to pay for a weekend away, painkillers and building work in what has been described as “despicable” crimes.
Christine Vaughan and her daughter Adele Mansell were both jailed at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court last Friday when they appeared to be sentenced for theft.
Elderly Beatrice Cooper – mum to Christine Vaughan and grandmother to Adele Mansell – was dependent on her family for help with shopping and her finances, was nearly blind, lived alone and described as “exceptionally vulnerable”.
She died on January 5, 2016, aged 97, when her relatives still maintained their innocence.
In early 2014, the victim noticed she wasn’t receiving paper statements from her bank anymore. In June 2014, she was taken to Barclays in Aberdare by her other granddaughter, Angela Evans, to find out why.
They discovered her account had been put online and the right to paper statements had been waived. Documents showed recent transactions included six unauthorised ones.
Granddaughter Mansell, 49, of Mountain Ash Road in Abercynon, had used her grandmother’s debit card four times and wrote two cheques from her account – totalling almost £3,000.
Mansell pleaded guilty to six counts of theft dating back to 2014, including using her gran’s funds to buy £300 worth of painkillers online, £203 for a weekend away in north Wales with her partner, £42 for online maternity wear, a vet bill – when her gran didn’t have a pet – a cheque of £1,000 to herself, and a cheque of £1,400 to a builder doing work for her.
After statements going back a longer period of time were examined, attention turned to Christine Vaughan, Beatrice’s daughter.
Prosecutor Matthew Roberts said: “What can be seen is over a period of time is Beatrice’s account
had been systematically drained by Christine Vaughan.
“What had been occurring over a seven-year, at least, period was the regular taking out of monies far in excess that was authorised. It amounts to an agreed sum of £20,000.”
Vaughan, 73, of Lewis Street in Aberdare, pleaded guilty to one count of theft.
Both defendants had originally pleaded not guilty, but changed their pleas earlier this year – Mansell in January and Vaughan in April.
Vaughan, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of theft.
Mansell, who the court was told had repaid most of the money she took, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment in total, after pleading guilty to six counts of theft. She was sentenced to 10 months for each count but will serve the sentence concurrently.
Mansell had one fraud conviction, namely obtaining property by deception, and had previously appeared in court for shoplifting in 2005. Both will also pay a statutory surcharge.
On sentencing, Judge T Lloyd-Clarke said: “It’s a sad fact that you were still maintaining your innocence when Beatrice passed away.
“There was, in my opinion, a deliberate targeting of a very elderly and very vulnerable victim.
“These are truly despicable crimes. This was a very serious breach of trust for someone who should have been very close and precious to you.
“You did not see this elderly and disabled lady as someone to be properly cared for.
“You saw her as someone who could finance your own lifestyles and it was persistent from you both. You took advantage of your own mother and grandmother.”