A MUM has been jailed after stealing her two daughters’ £50,000 inheritance left by their grandmother.
Katherine Hill, 53, and her father Gerald Hill, 93, were sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after running a “blatant and brazen” fraud by taking every penny earmarked for the girls.
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Katherine Hill was imprisoned after stealing her two daughters’ inheritanceCredit: WNS
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Gerald Hill said he took the money from the account and personally handed it over to his granddaughtersCredit: WNS
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Jessica said the ‘harm and pain’ her own family is causing is terrifyingCredit: WNS
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Gemma said the situation has caused a lot of ‘financial stress’Credit: WNS
Siblings Gemma and Jessica Thomas were the rightful owners of the lump sum left by their late grandmother Margaret.
The girls were told they could access the funds when they turned 25 – with their mum Katherine and grandad Gerald acting as account managers in the meantime.
But the heinous thefts were discovered when one of the girls wanted her share early to buy a house – something that was allowed under the terms of Margaret’s will.
Prosecutors found the dastardly father-daughter duo drained the account in just one year.
Katherine splashed the cash on shopping trips to New Look and Primark, while Gerald claimed he took the cash out and handed it directly to his granddaughters in envelopes.
Gemma and Jessica told the court they never received the sealed document containing the money from Gerald.
In a victim impact statement, Jessica said the “hurt and pain” her family had caused her was “scary”.
The registered nurse added: “Financially, my life has been affected more than I thought.”
As she could no longer afford the house she wanted, Jessica added: “I was given an opportunity that many people are not lucky enough to get, and then it was taken away from me.”
In a written statement, her sister Gemma said their actions had caused her “great emotional and financial stress”.
She added that she felt “betrayed and betrayed” by two people who were meant to be “blood and family” to her.
Prosecutor James Hartson said Margaret died in 2013 with money for her grandchildren placed in a trust partly managed by their mother.
Mr Hartson said Katherine later put the money into a Barclays Everyday Saver account despite being advised not to – allowing immediate access.
Katherine and Gerald both had cards for the account and within 12 months of it being opened most of the £50,000 had been withdrawn by cash withdrawals.
The transactions included one of £15,000 and others of £10,000 – along with one bank transfer of £2,300 directly into Katherine Hill’s account.
He claims the transaction was used to pay for the boxer’s family operation, which Jessica agreed to.
The fraud was only realized in 2018 and lawyers began a civil investigation of the fund.
The court heard that Christopher Thomas – Katherine’s ex-husband and Jessica and Gemma’s dad – reported the fraud to the police.
Katherine refused to testify during the trial.
However, Gerald told the court that he was withdrawing money from the account and giving it in installments.
He said he did it to “make light of the situation” because the girls were harassing their mother for money and he thought it would save his daughter’s “sanity”.
Gerald said he would drive from his home in Gower, South Wales, to Barclays Bank in Llansamlet and withdraw cash using the account card – and take the money home to his cottage.
He would then “distribute” the money to his granddaughters by driving to their house in the evening and dropping the envelopes in the mailbox – without speaking to the girls or their father.
Hill, who previously ran a B&B in Oxwich and worked for Royal Mail, denied acting on instructions and denied personally using any of the money.
He said he did what he did “purely and simply to defuse the situation between them [the granddaughters] and their mother,” adding: “I didn’t know what else to do – I thought it was the best thing to do.”
When cross-examined by prosecutor James Hartson, Gerald denied that his daughter “taught” him what to say.
He told the court that he chose the bank “practically next to” where his daughter worked because it was a branch he knew and was comfortable with.
‘Recruited’
Mr Hartson said Gerald was “recruited” by his daughter who took advantage of the love he felt for her and then used him as a “marriage” before “throwing him under the bus”.
He added that Katherine did not have the courage to enter the witness stand and answer questions.
Gerald replied, “She didn’t know anything about it. I did it behind my back. No one asked me to.”
DC Aled Brothers, the officer in charge of the case, said the cash was “impossible to trace” and there was no way to trace the money.
Gerald told DC Brothers that he will always protect his daughter, adding, “I would die for her.”
Mr Hartson described Katherine as a manipulative and dishonest woman – and her lies were “comfortable and easy”.
He added that “she was no stranger to throwing her family members under the bus.”
The lawyer said the pair were “completely dishonest” and acted contrary to their roles as trustees of the young man’s money.
He said they were guilty of “blatant and brazen” inheritance fraud.
Katherine and Gerald were convicted after a week-long trial.
Judge Recorder Greg Bull KC told them the jury had convicted them on “compelling evidence” and were driven by “greed and spite”.
He told Katherine that she played a “leading role” in the fraud and that her father was a “willing deceiver”.
Katherine was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Gerald Hill was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for 18 months.
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