A woman “conned" a vulnerable pensioner out of £14,000 even persuading her to pay for her own mum's funeral.
Lillian Davies was under investigation by the police for the initial allegations over the repeated fraudulent use of the 70-year-old woman’s bank card when she knocked at her door asking to use her bathroom, at 10.30pm on February 14, this year.
Durham Crown Court heard she was allowed in, but while upstairs, she stole two purses from the victim’s bedroom and took the bank card from one to almost immediately withdraw £250 from an ATM at a nearby filling station in Chilton.
Ian West, prosecuting, said Davies knew the PIN number, having been allowed to use the card while previously supposedly helping the victim by buying shopping and obtaining cash for her.
But Mr West said Davies withdrew far more than she was authorised to, and she also persuaded the victim to cover the £8,000 cost of the funeral of her (the defendant’s) mother, even though it had been paid for by her father.
Mr West said after the initial offences, neighbours of the vulnerable woman were “looking out for her” and checking if Davies was visiting her, believing she had taken advantage of her over recent years.
When she was seen attending on February 14, it was reported to police.
Although by the time officers arrived, Davies had left and withdrawn the £250 using the stolen card.
She was finally arrested on April 2, and in interview admitted “borrowing” from the victim as well as taking the purses to make the ATM withdrawal.
The 40-year-old defendant, of Chestnut Avenue, Ferryhill, admitted two counts of fraud, one covering a period from August 2023 to June last year, relating to the £14,000, and the other over the withdrawal of the £250 in February this year.
Davies also admitted burglary of the victim’s home, on February 14, and was before the court to be sentenced for two Bail Act offences for failing to attend previous hearings.
It led to her being arrested on a bench warrant which has resulted in her being remanded in custody for the last three weeks.
She appeared at the sentencing hearing by video link from Low Newton Prison, Durham.
The court was told she has 15 previous convictions for 28 offences, mostly for shoplifting but some for criminal damage.
Mr Sabiston said the defendant has suffered a “miserable life”, blighted by drug misuse.
But he said she is remorseful and stated that she wants to pay the victim back, although he conceded: “That’s not likely in this case."
He said since the defendant has been remanded in custody over the last three weeks she has given two drug-free tests and he urged Judge Nathan Adams to allow her the chance of furthering her recovery from substance misuse in the community.
But Judge Adams said it was far too serious offending to pass anything but an immediate sentence.
He said she “conned” someone who was a long-standing family friend, even persuading her to part company with £8,000 for her mother’s funeral when it had already been paid for by her father.
The judge said while under investigation for those matters she also “tricked” her way into the same victim’s home to steal her purses.
“Overall, this was a clear abuse of trust and responsibility.
"It was the deliberate targeting of a victim with a vulnerability over a sustained period of time.”
Imposing a total 30-month prison sentence he also made Davies subject of a ten-year restraining order prohibiting her from attempting to contact or approach the victim.
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Judge Adams told Davies: “Your drug addiction can be addressed while you are serving the sentence.
“There are too many risks if you were to have been released now.”
He told her he might have been able to have taken a different course had she stopped after the initial fraud, but her subsequent actions in February only exacerbated her position.
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