Fraudster jailed for life insurance scam
A fraudster has been jailed after falsely pocketing a share of her brother's £60,000 life insurance policy after he was stabbed to death.
Ann Marie Rugg discovered the policy when clearing out her brother Paul Rugg's flat.
He died after being stabbed a number of times in his flat in Harlescott Grange, Shrewsbury, on January 6, 2010.
The 52-year-old left no will and it was thought that he left nothing of value. But when his 45-year-old sister cleared out his first floor flat in Kynaston Road she found the £60,940 insurance policy and went in to tell the insurance company she would be responsible for the money and distribute it, Shrewsbury Crown Court was told.
But she told the person who should have received the money – who cannot be named for legal reasons – that it was worth only £23,764 and also asked to keep half of that sum for herself, which was agreed.
She also asked for £2,000 for the funeral costs.
Rugg, of Abbotts Close, Shrewsbury, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, and told she would have to serve half the term in jail. She had admitted four charges relating to fraud.
Judge Simon Tonking said: "You abused the trust put in you."
He also commended the family liaison officer Detective Constable Ruth Barclay, who became suspicious about the insurance policy.
Mr Dean Easthope, for Rugg, said his client had not kept all the money herself but given money to members of her family.
"She lost the plot and when the insurance policy was discovered she acted in an opportunist way. Paul Rugg was an alcoholic and could also not be a nice person. She stood by him when others did not."
In 2011 Wayne Austin was jailed for nine years after admitting the manslaughter of Mr Rugg.
Austin, also of Harlescott, was 26 when he was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court.
He had denied murder and the Crown Prosecution Service accepted his manslaughter plea.
The court heard that Austin knew Mr Rugg as a drinking acquaintance and it was likely he went to the flat to get alcohol.
He said after Mr Rugg demanded he left the flat, Austin became enraged and pulled a knife out and stabbed the victim once in the leg and twice in the chest.
