Woman sentenced for stealing £20,000 from her elderly mother

A woman who stole almost £20,000 from her elderly mother has been sentenced to 10 months in prison suspended for 12 months.

Janet Davies was also ordered to pay £237 in costs and undertake 150 hours of unpaid work during the hearing at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 21 August.

The 65-year-old of Great King Street, Macclesfield, had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of retaining a wrongful credit.

The court heard how Davies had secretly applied for attendance allowance on behalf of her elderly mother.

Davies’ mother had no knowledge of the application or the payments that were being regularly made to her account.

Davies would then use and spend her mother’s money she was receiving from the Department of Working Pensions.

Under the guise the benefits were for her mother, Davies had fraudulently received payments totalling £19,577.45, between 2017 and 2021.

The matter was reported to Cheshire Police and following her arrest, Davies denied all offences put to her by officers. Despite her silence, she later pleaded guilty to the charge.

Following her sentencing, Detective Sergeant Laura Fox, of Macclesfield CID said:

“Davies knowingly took advantage of her elderly mother to commit audacious acts whilst in a position of trust.

“She should have been managing and supporting her vulnerable mother’s finances, not exploiting them for her own financial gain.

“Her offending has had a detrimental effect on the victim in this case and resulted in a significant financial loss for the Department of Working Pensions, and subsequently Davies is now facing the consequences of her actions."

To report suspected fraud offences, call Cheshire Police on 101, give the details via:

https://cheshire.police.uk/contact/general-enquiries

... or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on:

0800 555 111