A callous woman who preyed on her vulnerable sister fleeced her out of £15,000 to help pay for a holiday and clothes while claiming to be struggling financially.
Maria Stringer took her sister’s bank card and refused to give it back after she had already transferred £7,500 to her own account, claiming it was money owed for acting as her carer.
The 40-year-old’s financial abuse only came to light when a brother became concerned about the victim’s financial predicament.
Brooke Morrison, prosecuting, said the fraud took place for more than three years after the sister received a back-dated personal independent payment worth £26,000 before the defendant’s scam was discovered.
She said: “The defendant forced her sister to transfer money out of her bank account and at this point she took control of her sister’s bank card and refused to return it or allow her to spend her own money.
“The defendant then used her sister’s money to spend on herself. The total amount of money taken was £15,000.
“During this time, the defendant distanced her sister from other family members and told what she could and couldn’t eat, what time she went to bed and what video games she could buy.”
The court heard that despite claiming she was struggling for money after being made redundant by Greggs bakery, she used £1,000 as a deposit for a holiday.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she felt completely betrayed by her sister’s actions.
Stringer, of Drake Street, Spennymoor, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and coercive behaviour between December 1, 2018, and June 28, 2021.
Fiona Lamb, mitigating, said her client accepts that she has a drink problem and was taking cocaine at the time of the offending.
She added: “This is a serious case, the defendant knows your Honour will be considering custody and she has brought a bag with her.”
Judge Richard Bennett branded Stringer’s behaviour as ‘truly wicked and callous’ after she fleeced her sister for £15,000.
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“You took advantage of your younger sister and took a substantial amount of money from her,” he said.
“As her older sister, you knew she was vulnerable and you took advantage of that. I watched her give evidence and her vulnerability is evident.”
Sentencing her to 27 months in prison, Judge Bennett added: “You were not only taking money from her but you were controlling her. You dictated what she could spend her money on as you claimed she would waste it – that was rank hypocrisy, given you were spending her money on your alcohol and cocaine consumption.”
Stringer was made subject to restraining order to protect her sister.
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