Durham crown court heard how the scale of Lyne Barlow’s swindling, which also involved stealing the financial identity of her mother and borrowing money from neighbours and friends that was not paid back, has been estimated at £1.2m.
Jailing Barlow, 39, yesterday, the judge, Joanne Kidd, said the defendant had “an extraordinary talent for dishonesty” and was a “thoroughly callous individual”.
Kidd pointed to Barlow’s fraud against her own mother, which came shortly after she was widowed. “You mercilessly abused the trust of your nearest and dearest in their darkest hours. You set about targeting other vulnerable people of your acquaintance and who trusted you to satisfy your need for a relatively lavish lifestyle.”
Durham constabulary said it was one of the biggest fraud investigations it had ever undertaken.
Many of Barlow’s victims never went on the holidays they paid for or were sometimes stranded in foreign countries.
Barlow’s relatives thought she had cancer, with family members duped into taking her to hospital for fake appointments.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin February 04, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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