Wigan woman stole £45,000 from her gran and then tried to pin the blame on her own mum

Kay Brown, 31, of Cheltenham Avenue, Ince, appeared at Chester Crown Court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of theft and two of fraud.

Brown was the grand-daughter of Laura Ollier, who only discovered the money was missing when she tried to draw money from her account and found it was missing.

Angela Chriscoli said the victim was her ex-father in law's sister, and she'd known her since 1978.

Speaking after the conclusion of the case, Angela said: "Kay set up a catalogue account in her nan's name, without her knowledge, in 2019.

"When she got away with this, not paying anything and selling goods on, she set up an online bank account in her nan's name.

"She used the details from a cheque that her nan had given her to buy a double buggy for new born twins.

"She then set up online banking in her mother's name and transferred money from nan's account to mum’s account without either of them knowing."

In all, Kay Brown stole £45,000 before the theft came to light in October 2020 when Mrs Ollier, of Warrington, tried to draw money from her bank account and found it was almost empty.

Angela, 61, from Warrington, said: "In 18 months she had spent £45k while on benefits as a single parent.

"She has no means of paying the money back to the bank who had reimbursed Laura Ollier, who died last Easter just a week before her 90th birthday.

"Kay had tried to blame her mother for the theft and Laura Ollier died without finding out that her daughter was not actually involved."

She added: "In the two and a half years it took to get the case to court, Mrs Ollier went from being very sociable, loved bingo and having breakfast or lunch out, to not wanting to leave her home because she was embarrassed and worried in case anyone asked about her family. She was such a proud sociable and glamorous old lady and this rift with her family broke her.

"Obviously it happening during Covid didn't help, but she had support from younger friends and other family members who were very concerned with the state of her mind as she didn't want to live anymore. May she now rest in peace."

At Chester Crown Court, Recorder Mark Ainsworth sentenced mum-of-three Brown to 16 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, for one charge of theft and two of fraud.

Angela said: "The court didn't ask where the money had gone and what she spent it on, so we don't know where it went.

"She was told by the judge that she really should be sent to prison but as a single parent to twins who live with her and an older child who lives with her paternal grandparents, the sentence would be suspended and she would have to do 240 hours' community service."

Brown’s brother-in-law Mark Jaeger said after the hearing: “Kay has held up her hands to what she did. She knows it was wrong and is extremely remorseful.

"She intends to pay back to society with the community service she will be carrying out and has learnt her lessons.

"As far as the money is concerned, she was coerced into giving it to a friend who then ran off with it so she is unable to return it.”