Catalogue scammer who piled up the gifts is spared jail

A CATALOGUE fraudster who treated herself to dozens of gifts walked free from court.

Wallsend scammer Dawn Hammond took out a catalogue in her landlord’s name, North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court hearing she had became hooked on the “thrill” of parcels arriving at her door.

When her crimes were exposed, it emerged most of the packages had not even been opened.

The 49-year-old has now been ordered to repay the £825 debt she racked up.

However, Hammond escaped additional punishment after being told losing the shame of losing her good character was “punishment enough.”

Between 2016 and 2018, Hammond had packages delivered under her landlord’s name. It was only after the payments stopped that the scam emerged.

Prosecutor Eve McDonnell said the victim was “shocked” to receive the unexpected bill.

However, Hammond’s lack of criminal cunning was potentially her downfall as while she had put the account in her landlord’s name, everything else - including an incriminating email address and bank details - was linked directly to her.

“She did not know why she had done it. She said she did not realise it would come back to the landlord.”

Hammond, of Charlotte Street, pleaded guilty to a single count of fraud by false representation.

Mitigating, Mark Harrison admitted it had not been the craftiest of crimes.

He said: “There was no sophistication to any of it.” Battling anxiety and depression, Mr Harrison claimed Hammond had been “lonely and fairly sad” during that point in her life.

He added: “It was the thrill of the arrival of something new, more than the thrill of ordering something she owned which spurned the offending.”

Praising the defendant for addressing her issues via talking therapies, magistrates ordered her to pay just the £825 compensation as well as £40 costs, the money deducted from her Universal Credit.