Emily Ellwood, a 36-year-old mother of three, has been sentenced to a two-year imprisonment suspended for two years at Oxford Crown Court for fraud. Ellwood had accessed her elderly step-grandmother’s bank account numerous times between April and December 2019, using the account details to cover online purchases and significantly draining the woman’s savings. Over £12,200 was taken from the victim’s account. The court heard that Ellwood had betrayed the trust placed in her by her grandmother and other family members, causing significant harm. In an impact statement read during the hearing, the victim’s daughter lamented how Ellwood’s actions had caused a rift among the three family members who shared powers of attorney over the elderly woman’s affairs.
Recorder John Bate-Williams highlighted the severity of the crime, stating that Ellwood dishonestly used the bank details initially trusted to her for authorised purposes to exploit her step-grandmother’s finances. He emphasised that the crime was particularly egregious due to the victim’s vulnerability, as she was suffering from dementia.
Ellwood was found guilty of fraud in magistrates’ court after pleading guilty. A financial investigator attempted to identify assets that could be sold to compensate the victim; however, any items purchased during the fraud were reportedly used or damaged, rendering them unsellable. The prosecutor revealed that Ellwood ignored or made excuses for police requests for an interview in 2020, leading to her eventual arrest and questioning in November of the same year, during which she refused to respond to officers’ inquiries.
According to Ellwood’s counsel, Emma Hornby, her client expressed deep shame for her actions. Hornby explained that Ellwood was experiencing significant trauma and grief at the time of the offence following the death of her mother. It was further submitted that Ellwood’s habit of excessive spending was a means of self-medicating during periods of sadness and emotional struggles. However, the judge contrasted her purported remorse with remarks made to a probation officer preparing a pre-sentence report, which indicated that Ellwood believed using the bank details caused no harm since ‘there was no person present.’
As part of her suspended sentence, Ellwood was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and participate in up to 35 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions. Additionally, she has been instructed to repay £12,261 in compensation to her step-grandmother. Ellwood proposed making payments of £25 per month, which would take over 40 years to settle the full amount.
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