November 13, 2019 3.29 pm This story is over 52 months old

Woman fraudulently spent £77k of elderly relative’s money

She has been jailed

Francie Williams was jailed for 18 months. Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A 41-year-old woman from Grantham abused her Power of Attorney to fraudulently use £77,000 of a vulnerable elderly family member’s money.

Francie Williams, of Dysart Road in Grantham, was charged with Fraud by Abuse of Position and jailed for 18 months at Lincoln Crown Court. She pleaded guilty to the offence in October before the case was sent to Lincoln Crown Court for sentencing this week.

Williams was responsible for the family member’s finances and had a Power of Attorney agreement, which allowed her to only withdraw monies from his account for his benefit.

Instead, she used his money to buy a vehicle for her own personal use which cost around £23,000.

At the sentencing hearing Williams accepted taking a total of £77,000 from the complainant over a period of two years between 2014 to 2016. The majority of monies were taken via debit card, estimated to be in the region of 200 transactions.

Although Williams’ sentence has been handed out, the Proceeds of Crime Act Investigation is ongoing and will be heard in 2020.

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 provides a framework for criminals to be stripped of their assets accrued through criminal activity.

Detective Constable Kerry McNeill, leading the investigation, said: “As attorney for her relative’s financial affairs, Williams stole thousands to fund her own lifestyle.

“The sentence reflects how serious this crime is and serves as a reminder to those entrusted with such responsibility. If anyone suspects this type of fraud or any other fraud is happening to them or someone they know they should report it to us.”