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Woman intercepted deaf neighbours post and bought holiday, gin and hair extensions | This is Plymouth
A WOMAN who intercepted her deaf neighbours' mail spent £15,000 of their money on a family holiday to Turkey, £400-worth of gin and hair extensions among other luxuries, a court heard.
Jacqueline Taylor took out loans and credit cards in their names and covered her tracks by intercepting letters and statements from banks and credit card companies.
When caught, she tried to blame her victims – a couple who were neighbours and friends for 18 years.
A judge yesterday jailed Taylor for three years following her guilty pleas to seven counts of theft and 12 of fraud.
Judge, Recorder Simon Levene told her: "They trusted you; you were one of the family.
"No-one could trust anyone as much as they trusted you."
Prosecutor Andrew Maitland told Plymouth Crown Court that Taylor, 39, was so close to the couple – whom The Herald have decided not to name – that she called them Mother and Father.
When her dog began chewing her mail, they agreed to have her post delivered to their house.
But Mr Maitland said the couple and their 25-year-old son, were highly vulnerable because all three were profoundly deaf.
Taylor, who had a previous conviction for dishonesty, had an extravagant lifestyle but could not control her debts and was in trouble with creditors, he said.
In August 2010, Lloyds TSB sent the male victim a new credit card and PIN.
But Taylor intercepted them and used them 11 times in a month to spend £2,477.52 on items including a mobile phone bill, her mortgage and petrol.
The male victim returned from holiday in September to find Tesco had granted him a £6,000 loan he had never applied for, and which he cancelled.
Earlier, in April, Santander Bank had sent the male victim a Mastercard which he never received.
It was activated by a male voice and used nine times between May 5 and June 10, running up a bill of £4957.98, including £740 to Thomas Cook towards a £3,000 holiday and £1,518 for Taylor's husband's tax bill.
A Visa card in the male victim's name was applied for and sent, with Taylor running up a bill for £4230.65 against a £4,500 limit.
This included a further £1,761 to Thomas Cook, meaning two-thirds of the cost of the holiday was paid with stolen money, said Mr Maitland.
More was spent on hair extensions for her daughter, car tax, a Virgin Media bill and clothes from River Island.
A Capital One card applied for in the female victim's name was used to spend £1,113.18, including £452 on gin from Plymouth Gin Distillery.
Another loan for £2,000 was granted to the male victim, but was never activated and the money was recovered.
Mr Maitland said the banks had covered the losses, adding: "They have taken the hit for £15,000."
Taylor involved an innocent postman by forging a note from the male victim saying it was all right to give his family's mail to her.
Mr Maitland said that after her arrest, Taylor initially claimed the couple had allowed her to use their money, and said their son had applied for the Tesco loan using her computer while house-sitting.
McKenzie Robinson, for Taylor, said his client had been leading a double life.
"She was a committed, devoted mother and a good neighbour to some while embarking on an appalling series of offences," he said.
Her husband was struggling with depression while trying to keep his business afloat, and Taylor being jailed would have a serious effect on those around her, especially her children aged 16,17 and 19, he said.
He added: "She became immersed in a world of dishonesty and double-dealing, but wishes to apologise to the family."
The judge, Recorder Simon Levene, told Taylor, of Childrey Gardens, Crownhill, that all that could be said for her was that she had apologised and pleaded guilty.
He said the total amount she had defrauded was £21,000, though only £15,000 had found its way to her.
He said: "These were vulnerable victims."
He added: "These were close, good friends and neighbours, but you traded on their difficulties in communicating with their bank and postman over a long period by a very well-planned fraud.
"You got others to act on your behalf as well; you were very devious.
"To add insult to injury, you at first blamed your victims and tried to make out they were fools.
"I can only mark the disapproval of society with a sentence of three years."
Recorder Levene assessed the benefit of Taylor's frauds as £21,000, but as she has no money imposed a nominal confiscation of £5.
A WOMAN who intercepted her deaf neighbours' mail spent £15,000 of their money on a family holiday to Turkey, £400-worth of gin and hair extensions among other luxuries, a court heard.
Jacqueline Taylor took out loans and credit cards in their names and covered her tracks by intercepting letters and statements from banks and credit card companies.
When caught, she tried to blame her victims – a couple who were neighbours and friends for 18 years.
A judge yesterday jailed Taylor for three years following her guilty pleas to seven counts of theft and 12 of fraud.
Judge, Recorder Simon Levene told her: "They trusted you; you were one of the family.
"No-one could trust anyone as much as they trusted you."
Prosecutor Andrew Maitland told Plymouth Crown Court that Taylor, 39, was so close to the couple – whom The Herald have decided not to name – that she called them Mother and Father.
When her dog began chewing her mail, they agreed to have her post delivered to their house.
But Mr Maitland said the couple and their 25-year-old son, were highly vulnerable because all three were profoundly deaf.
Taylor, who had a previous conviction for dishonesty, had an extravagant lifestyle but could not control her debts and was in trouble with creditors, he said.
In August 2010, Lloyds TSB sent the male victim a new credit card and PIN.
But Taylor intercepted them and used them 11 times in a month to spend £2,477.52 on items including a mobile phone bill, her mortgage and petrol.
The male victim returned from holiday in September to find Tesco had granted him a £6,000 loan he had never applied for, and which he cancelled.
Earlier, in April, Santander Bank had sent the male victim a Mastercard which he never received.
It was activated by a male voice and used nine times between May 5 and June 10, running up a bill of £4957.98, including £740 to Thomas Cook towards a £3,000 holiday and £1,518 for Taylor's husband's tax bill.
A Visa card in the male victim's name was applied for and sent, with Taylor running up a bill for £4230.65 against a £4,500 limit.
This included a further £1,761 to Thomas Cook, meaning two-thirds of the cost of the holiday was paid with stolen money, said Mr Maitland.
More was spent on hair extensions for her daughter, car tax, a Virgin Media bill and clothes from River Island.
A Capital One card applied for in the female victim's name was used to spend £1,113.18, including £452 on gin from Plymouth Gin Distillery.
Another loan for £2,000 was granted to the male victim, but was never activated and the money was recovered.
Mr Maitland said the banks had covered the losses, adding: "They have taken the hit for £15,000."
Taylor involved an innocent postman by forging a note from the male victim saying it was all right to give his family's mail to her.
Mr Maitland said that after her arrest, Taylor initially claimed the couple had allowed her to use their money, and said their son had applied for the Tesco loan using her computer while house-sitting.
McKenzie Robinson, for Taylor, said his client had been leading a double life.
"She was a committed, devoted mother and a good neighbour to some while embarking on an appalling series of offences," he said.
Her husband was struggling with depression while trying to keep his business afloat, and Taylor being jailed would have a serious effect on those around her, especially her children aged 16,17 and 19, he said.
He added: "She became immersed in a world of dishonesty and double-dealing, but wishes to apologise to the family."
The judge, Recorder Simon Levene, told Taylor, of Childrey Gardens, Crownhill, that all that could be said for her was that she had apologised and pleaded guilty.
He said the total amount she had defrauded was £21,000, though only £15,000 had found its way to her.
He said: "These were vulnerable victims."
He added: "These were close, good friends and neighbours, but you traded on their difficulties in communicating with their bank and postman over a long period by a very well-planned fraud.
"You got others to act on your behalf as well; you were very devious.
"To add insult to injury, you at first blamed your victims and tried to make out they were fools.
"I can only mark the disapproval of society with a sentence of three years."
Recorder Levene assessed the benefit of Taylor's frauds as £21,000, but as she has no money imposed a nominal confiscation of £5.