A mother who was found guilty of stealing her daughters’ inheritance has been ordered to repay £50,000. Katherine Hill, 53, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for fraud by abuse of power.
The money that Hill stole belonged to her daughters, Gemma and Jessica Thomas, and was left to them by their grandmother, Margaret Hill. The court heard that Hill had put the money into an instant access Barclays Everyday Saver account despite being advised against doing so.
Hill and her father both had cards on the account, and they drained its contents within a year. There were 19 withdrawals made between March 2016 and March 2017. Due to inflation, the sum stolen by Hill is now worth about £65,000.
Mr. Justice Mark Newey ruled that neither Ms. Thomas nor Mr. Lloyd should benefit from any assets seized as part of confiscation proceedings. He stated, "In short, I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you both knew exactly what you were doing when you stole your daughters’ legacy."
Gerald, Hill’s father, is currently serving his sentence at HMP Parc near Bridgend, while Katherine is behind bars at Bronzefield Prison near Heathrow Airport. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing took place on Monday afternoon, where Judge Andrew Price QC confirmed that Gerald would serve eight-and-a-half years, while his daughter would serve seven-and-a-half years.
Sisters’ Reflections
Speaking outside court following the sentencing, Jessica revealed how she first discovered her grandmother’s death at the age of six. Her sister Gemma recalled seeing pictures in school books showing Mrs. Thomas smiling alongside friends, but they didn’t know much else until they turned eighteen.
The sisters described how their lives changed dramatically after their parents split. Jessica shared:
- "As soon as Dad moved out, Mum started dating again."
- "She met Phillip Lloyd shortly afterwards. They’ve been together since then."
- "We used to visit him occasionally, but he wasn’t really involved with us."
- "Much later, probably around Christmas time, he came round once or twice, but other than those occasions, I don’t recall meeting him properly until recently."
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