Theology student jailed for £10,000 widow fraud

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-33382506

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A theology student who stole almost £10,000 from a vulnerable widow she had befriended has been jailed.

Hannah Wright, 27, from Goldsithney in west Cornwall, took control of Susan Patton's internet banking and secretly transferred money to her own account.

Wright took the cash over a two-year period while studying theology at the University of Birmingham.

She was jailed for 18 months at Truro Crown Court after being found guilty of fraud at a trial in May.

Sentencing, Recorder James Waddington QC said: "You effectively stole just shy of £10,000 from Mrs Patton, whom you had befriended and who in turn trusted you.

'Fell into temptation'

"What you did, in short, was take advantage of this vulnerable lady to gain access to her bank account and steal money for your own benefit."

Wright offered to help Mrs Patton with internet banking then transferred around £500 a month from the victim's account to her own from April 2012 to May 2014, totalling £9,881.35.

The judge said Wright was "a student on a student grant" and the money was used to provide "additional spending power".

Mrs Patton lived on her own after her husband took his own life, the court heard.

The theft only came to light when landlords tried to evict Mrs Patton from her Penzance home for non-payment of rent.

Prosecuting, Sally Daulton said Mrs Patton had suffered several brain haemorrhages and was "vulnerable because of her mental capacity".

The court heard Mrs Patton's rent, council tax and water bills went unpaid while Wright was in charge of her affairs.

In a victim impact statement Mrs Patton said she felt a "complete idiot".

Defending, Iain White said Wright "fell into" taking the money and "temptation got the better of her".