Sisters threatened to 'finish' family firm in £1.2m fraud

A TERRIFIED company secretary handed over £1.2m after threats were made to ‘finish’ the family business and hurt her children during a cruel fraud carried out by two sisters

- CRAIG McGLASSON AND NEAL KEELING

Joanne Palmer, 40, and 38-year-old Stephanie Palmer, both of The Precinct, Romiley, Stockport, made phone calls with a ‘determined and relentless persistence’ during a ‘dishonest scam’ over many months which saw more than £1.5 million paid out by senior staff members at two companies.

A Carlisle Crown Court jury heard how the secretary of family haulage business, SI & S Hastings, based near Penrith, began receiving calls asking if she would like to advertise in magazines and online. She asked for paperwork to be sent in order to consider that proposition, but nothing arrived and no advertisements were ever placed nor invoiced for.

But the woman then began receiving calls claiming there was an outstanding balance to pay for what was ‘non-existent’ advertising.

Numerous calls per day contained demands for payment, said prosecutor Tim Evans as he described the Palmer sisters going ‘into overdrive’.

Calls threatened that bailiffs would be at the woman’s home within the hour if she did not make the payments, said Mr Evans as he opened the case to jurors.