A daughter was 'betrayed by her own mother' who opened multiple bank accounts in her name and stole more than £18,000 over nine years, police said. Karen Leahy, 57, has now been brought to justice.
Police said Leahy opened multiple bank accounts in her daughter's name without her knowledge between 2015 and 2024.
Discovery of the fraud
In a statement, Cheshire Police said: "The victim only became aware of the offences when she attempted to access her finances and discovered that there was more than £18,000 outstanding debt in her name."
"She also found she had two County Court Judgements against her, despite never having taken out any finances herself. Following the discovery, the victim reported the incident to Cheshire police and Leahy was arrested."
Court sentencing
Leahy, from Winsford, appeared at Chester Crown Court last Friday, where she was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 24 months. She had earlier pleaded guilty to 11 counts of fraud by false representation.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Vickie Wallace, of Northwich said: "Leahy went to great lengths in order to carry out her crimes, creating multiple face accounts and fake email addresses in order to take out thousands of pounds worth of cash in her daughter's name."
Impact on the victim
"This case has had a lasting impact on the victim, not only has she been betrayed by her own mother, but she has also been unable to get any loans or other personal finances, in order to purchase items for her and her family."
"I hope that the conclusion of this case, and the sentence handed to her mother will provide her with some closure and allow her to move forward with her life."
