A 91-year-old woman with dementia was left terrified to answer her own front door after a mother and daughter stole more than £2,300 from her bank account. Queenie Watts, who lived alone and relied on daily carers, was targeted by Kathleen Perry and Siobhan Perry after her bank card was taken from her home in Maidstone, Kent. The pair went on to use the card for cash withdrawals and shopping trips, buying items including cigarettes, vapes, trainers and a Samsung phone.
Maidstone Crown Court heard Kathleen, 61, was addicted to heroin, while her daughter Siobhan, 43, was addicted to crack cocaine. Both women had only recently been released from prison. The pair have now been jailed for a total of four years after the court heard how they exploited the vulnerable pensioner.
How the fraud unfolded
Prosecutor Caroline Baker told the court Miss Watts was “especially vulnerable” because of her age and Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Concerns were first raised when Miss Watts told relatives a woman had visited her home with a child, asked if she had any money and taken around £70. Days later, on November 15 last year, Kathleen arrived at her address while her nephew Anthony Stevens was visiting. She claimed she needed the pensioner’s bank card so she could “reimburse” money owed.
Anthony became suspicious and asked for identification. However, Kathleen told him she did not have any and then grabbed the card, saying she "just wanted to get the matter resolved" and fled in a hurry. Although he quickly contacted the bank, the card was used before it could be stopped. Over several days, it was repeatedly used in fraudulent transactions, with a total of £2,303 taken from Miss Watts. The duo used it to withdraw £250 from a Tesco cashpoint, as well as buy £370 worth of items from JD Sports and a £220 Samsung phone.
Impact on the victim
Although Queenie was unable to provide a statement to police, her niece told the court that Miss Watts had “not completely forgotten” what happened and “still mentions the woman she thought was being nice to her”. The family said she became frightened of answering the door and grew so distrustful she refused to let genuine carers into her home. Describing the impact on her aunt, Sara Stevens said: “The family were, and still are, very worried what impact the crime would have on our aunt’s health both mentally and physically. She is a very small lady who is quite good on her feet. She appears frail and can become confused. She looks like someone you would want to protect. So it is difficult to comprehend how anyone could be so heartless.”
The court heard Miss Watts has since had to leave the home where she had lived for 20 years, adding to her distress. Santander has reimbursed all the money taken.
Sentencing
Kathleen Perry, of Park Wood, Maidstone, pleaded guilty to burglary, 15 counts of fraud by false representation and breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order. Siobhan Perry, of Maidstone, admitted eight counts of fraud by false representation. Niall Doherty, defending Kathleen, said she had been living drug-free until her daughter moved in with her in August last year. He said she then relapsed and began reoffending to fund her “rampant” £80-a-day heroin habit. Apologising on her behalf, Mr Doherty said she could not recall “the exact details” of her criminality but had told the author of a pre-sentence report that she needed to be punished for “the mess” she had caused.
Philip Hill, defending Siobhan, said drugs had been her “downfall” and that she had also stayed off drugs until reuniting with her mother. He added: “She blames her mum for allowing her to use the card, but with the caveat that it was her responsibility for using that card and going back to taking crack cocaine.” Sentencing the pair, recorder Clive Broe said there was very little mitigation for either defendant. He said that while each woman sought to blame the other, he had “no doubt” they were both “fully aware” of what they were doing. He described the offending as a “deliberate, callous and cowardly” targeting of a vulnerable and elderly victim. Kathleen was jailed for three years and three months, while Siobhan was sentenced to nine months.
Family's response
Speaking outside court, Sara said the family could now “look to the future”. She said: “I’m generally somebody who has empathy but I’m afraid I just cannot find it in my heart to find empathy [for the defendants] because of the impact it has had on my family. It has been the toughest six months and it has almost broken me. The way to show people they are sorry is to turn their life around and not do it [offend]. Change your life and do something that is good. Then maybe I will have some empathy. Prove it.”
