A woman jailed for fraud for the second time earlier this year has only £200 available to compensate her victims, despite benefitting by more than £114,000 from her crimes.
Kirsty Sheldon, now 46, of Defoe Crescent, Newton Aycliffe, was sentenced to a total 32-months’ imprisonment at Durham Crown Court in March.
It followed her guilty pleas to possessing criminal property, despite disputing the amount involved, and fraud.
The court heard the money laundering charge related to funds loaned to her in 2017 to help set up a clothing supply business, My Couture Heaven, in Newton Aycliffe.
Read more: Detective welcomes jailing of "heartless" County Durham fraudster
She was said to have been loaned various sums, amounting to £98,725, by an associate of a business partner, from Dundee, in Scotland.
Sheldon repeatedly made excuses why she could not pay the money back, as promised, only, eventually, repaying £8,002 of the amount received.
During a trial of issue staged at the court, prior to her being sentenced, she claimed she only received about £12,000 in loans, but Judge James Adkin found against her and accused her of telling “clear lies” in fobbing off the lender, knowing full well that she was unable to repay the money.
The fraud case related to the online sale of static caravan holidays at the Haggerston Castle site, in north Northumberland, in 2017 and 2018.
Although some of her customers went on to have satisfactory breaks, some turned up having travelled to the site, near Berwick, only to discover the holiday home they had booked to stay in was already occupied, or the booking did not exist.
Some had to pay to stay in alternative accommodation and were not compensated by Sheldon.
As with the money laundering charge, she gave a variety of excuses to holidaymakers she had let down and left out of pocket.
Read more: County Durham woman jailed again in further fraud cases
The court heard that the resulting 32-month sentence she is now serving is not her first jail stretch, as, in 2014, when known as Kirsty Cox, she received a two-year sentence at Teesside Crown Court for the fraudulent sale of iPad computers at knock-down prices.
While some devices were sold, she was unable to keep up with demand, despite taking customers’ money up front, leaving 40 out of pocket by more than £450,000.
She subsequently failed to meet the crime proceeds settlement figure agreed in that case.
In the latest case, it was estimated that with interest she benefited by £114,438.46 from her criminal activities, but the available amount to confiscate from her is only £200.
Judge Adkin, therefore, ordered that the £200 be paid by way of compensation, to be divided between her victims.
Although she is serving her sentence in Low Newton Women’s Prison, she was given 28 days to pay the £200 or risk receiving an extra 28 days behind bars, in default.
Read next:
iPad fraudster Kirsty Cox from Newton Aycliffe facing ruin
iPad scam woman seeks to persuade judge to halve amount she owes
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