A mother and son from Warrington have been sentenced after systematically stealing thousands of pounds from a terminally ill grandmother during her final year of life. Linda Walkden, 68, and her son Robbie Walkden, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation after emptying the bank account of Sheila Skelhorn, 85, who died of lung cancer in June 2024.
The pair, from Perrins Road in Burtonwood, carried out the fraudulent scheme over nearly twelve months from June 2023 to May 2024. They stole a total of £8,500, including £2,226.13 taken while Mrs Skelhorn was an inpatient in hospital in April 2024. The thefts left the pensioner overdrawn, with an empty fridge, unable to pay bills, and without sufficient funds to cover her own funeral costs.
Spending spree on Amazon and Etsy
Prosecutor Iain Criddle told Liverpool Crown Court that the defendants withdrew cash from automated machines and used Mrs Skelhorn's bank card for online shopping, including purchases from Amazon and Etsy. To cover their tracks, they used a website called SlothMove to redirect her bank statements to Robbie Walkden's address, paying for the service using her bank account.
The court heard that Mrs Skelhorn became upset in February 2024 when she realised she had less money than she thought and was concerned she had insufficient funds to buy food. Her goddaughter, Carol Nordquist, who held power of attorney, grew suspicious and flew from the south of France to the UK to investigate. When she raised concerns, Linda Walkden claimed Mrs Skelhorn was spending money "like there was no tomorrow" and that she knew and agreed to the spending.
Previous conviction for stealing from grandmother
Robbie Walkden had previously been jailed for 20 months in 2021 for two counts of fraud against the same victim. The family had become estranged after that conviction but reacquainted in June 2023 when Mrs Skelhorn moved into a bungalow in Burtonwood after becoming lonely during the covid pandemic.
Mrs Nordquist reported the relatives to police, leading to their arrest on July 10 2024. A "large quantity of what, at first blush, appeared to be high value goods" was seized from their home, though many designer shoes, bags and clothes later transpired to be counterfeit. Robbie Walkden admitted under interview that many transactions had been "carried out by him for his benefit", while Linda Walkden claimed her mother frequently made impulse purchases and that she had withdrawn cash on her behalf.
Judge describes 'awful, abhorrent' offence
Sentencing, Recorder Emma Fisher said: "Mrs Skelhorn was, at the time, 85 years old. She was in ill health. She had cancer. She died in 2024. She was forgetful. She was hard of hearing and, perhaps worst of all, she trusted you." She described the thefts as "an absolutely appalling series of thefts" and told Robbie Walkden: "The fact that you stole from your grandmother, got punished for that with a custodial sentence then went back to steal again, it perplexes me."
Robbie Walkden was handed two years behind bars. Linda Walkden was given an 18-month imprisonment suspended for two years with a six-month curfew from 7pm to 7am. The judge cited her lack of previous convictions, health conditions and prospect of rehabilitation as reasons for suspending her sentence.
