Shropshire fraud to pay back mother-in-law's life savings at just £25 a week

Doris Mansell, of Ludlow, who suffers from vascular dementia was betrayed by Michael John Lloyd over a period of seven months.

Unknown to his wife Linda, who kept her mother's post office card in her purse, he had been stealing it and drawing money out behind her back.

Deceitful Lloyd had clocked his wife entering the pin number and used it during the offence which magistrates branded "an unpleasant breach of trust".

It was not until Mrs Lloyd discovered money missing from the account and called police that her husband was linked to the crime.

Lloyd admitted fraud before Telford Magistrates, who ordered him to pay back the full amount - at a rate of just £25 a week.

Following the hearing, Mrs Mansell's grand daughters who attended court said the elderly woman had been "cheated out of justice" as she would be 90 by the time the total was repaid.

Lloyd, 45, of Belle Vue, Morda, Oswestry defrauded his mother-in-law who lives in Steventon between November 2013 and May 2014.

Prosecuting, Abigail Hall, said: "The injured party, Mrs Doris Mansell, is 84 and has vascular dementia.

"Her daughter Linda Lloyd kept her post office card in her purse which she drew out £50 a week and £150 every other week for her mother.

"On May 27 she drew out money at the post office in Ludlow and received a receipt and discovered money missing from the account. She further checked statements and found £8,230 to be missing.

"After establishing the theft she reported it to the police. Enquiries were made and statements were taken from post office staff.

"Enquiries led police to suspect Michael Lloyd, the husband of the injured party's daughter.

"He was located and arrested by police and in interview he admitted the offence.

"He said he had removed the card from her purse. He said he had seen his wife use the pin number on one occasion and he had remembered it and had continued to use the card until his wife discovered the theft."

Christopher Grainger, defending, said there was no getting away from the fact this was a "very vulnerable victim and this is a breach of trust."

He said: "I am instructed to express the disgust in himself that he feels. It's cost him his family life and marriage."

Probation officers prepared a report on Lloyd which said: "It was a case of mounting debts and burying his head in the sand."

The court heard he was due to start a new job at Stadco in Shrewsbury today.

Chair of magistrates Mrs Sue Tyrrell told Lloyd: "This was an unpleasant breach of trust and theft and we are aware you are paying a heavy price for it in estrangement from your family."

She sentenced him to a 12-month supervision order, with 100 hours of unpaid work. Lloyd was also ordered to pay back the £8,230 at a rate of £25 a week, plus a victim surcharge of £60 as court costs were wavered.

Mrs Mansell's granddaughter, Emma Mansell, 32, of Teme Avenue, Ludlow, said: "We are disgusted my nan hasn't got justice. He's got away with it. We feel my nan has been cheated out of justice. She's 84 and he's cleared her account of her whole pension and life savings. She's been left with nothing.

"It's had a massive effect on the family. We've been trying to keep as much of this as we can from her because we don't want to stress her out. So we've all had to pull together to help her out. But we're going to have to explain to her that she's got no money because it's all been stolen."

Granddaughter Carla Everall, 39, of Farden, Clee Hill, said: "It's not realistic paying an 84-year-old £25 a week, she's never going to get it back - she would be 90 by the time it was all paid off. It's disgraceful."