You abused trust to brazenly fund your extravagant lifestyle with stolen money

Former TV presenter sentenced to 27 months | Daughter embezzled £120,000 from mother

- ALEXANDER LAWRIE

A SCOTS TV and radio presenter who embezzled £120,000 from her dementia-suffering mother has been jailed for more than two years.

Hayley Matthews splashed out on a designer Mulberry handbag, swimming lessons for two children and made cash withdrawals of £38,000 with the stolen money.

Matthews, 44, began spending elderly Janice Matthews' money after being made power of attorney over her mother's financial affairs in 2019.

A prosecutor said: "Hayley Matthews was placed in a position of family trust to oversee her mother's financial affairs.

"But she abused that responsibility by stealing thousands of pounds and used that to brazenly fund an extravagant lifestyle.

The callous TV personality also spent her mother's money on Amazon purchases amounting to £13,648.97, eBay goods worth £1137.82 and more than £5000 with the White Company.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court also heard the former STV2 presenter made purchases with Harvey Nichols, H&M, Milton Brown and Monsoon and on goods from Greggs, Deliveroo, Five Guys and Hotel Chocolat.

Matthews pleaded guilty to embezzling £120,000 from Janice while acting as power of attorney between September 24, 2019, and November 8, 2022, when she appeared at the capital court last month.