A HEARTLESS cleaner used forged cheques to steal £8,400 from a frail gran in a cheque scam. Michaela Reeves, 31, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, Greater Manchester deposited the money into her account after stealing the woman’s bank box from under the bed. The former equestrian centre manager denied theft and four charges of fraud at Bolton […]
A HEARTLESS cleaner used forged cheques to steal £8,400 from a frail gran in a cheque scam.
Michaela Reeves, 31, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, Greater Manchester deposited the money into her account after stealing the woman’s bank box from under the bed.
The former equestrian centre manager denied theft and four charges of fraud at Bolton Crown Court after claiming a burglar had stolen the cheques from disabled Olive Watmough.
When Mrs Watmough from Oldham who was in her 80s found out about the thefts she was said to be ”devastated” and told police: ”You just don’t think someone you trust would do this.”
She has since passed away and did not see the case reaching court.
The court heard that Reeves filled out increasing four-figure sums on the Yorkshire Bank payment slips and forged the victim’s signature.
The court heard she waited a few weeks before depositing each one.
Three payments – for £1,900, £2,700 and £3,800 but she was caught when bank officials blocked the fourth deposit for £7,800 and began investigating.
She was eventually freed with a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years.
Judge Mr Recorder Graham Wells told her: ”Mrs Watmough was an elderly lady who needed help as she was a vulnerable old lady. She kept the cheques upstairs in a box by her bed.
”Your job was to clean her house and help her. You had unsupervised access to all areas of the house.
”As a cleaner you were trusted, yet you searched for and found those cheques and you stole them from the book as part of a cunning plan. You made them out in increasing sums with time between them to try no doubt to slip them past the eyes of the bank and Mrs Watmough.
”It was several days and weeks after you had stolen those cheques, that you put the first one through.
”The effect on Mrs Watmough described in her statement written before she died and amplified by her granddaughters was that it was devastating.
”Her financial security appeared to have been breached, her trust betrayed,. It is difficult if not impossible to imagine a more serious breach of trust for a vulnerable old lady in her own home.
“Even thought she was indemnified by the bank, the impact of this offending on her was high.
”You do not accept the verdict of the jury and there is no remorse and you are in denial despite the evidence against you being overwhelming. Without the advocacy of your counsel you would have been going to prison.
“The jury said they hoped this would bring some close to Mrs Watmough’s family. I echo that and I hope it’s an end to a chapter in your life as well.”
The thefts took place between December 2017 and February 2018 after Mrs Watmough, from Oldham hired Reeves via an agency.
Paul Dockery prosecuting said: ”Mrs Watmough had a disability which meant he was unable to get around the house and clean. In the course of working at that home, four cheques went missing and were later used by the defendant and made out to her.
”Three transactions went through – the fourth did not. The last one was stopped by the bank. All the money was returned to the family by the bank which made good Mrs Watmough’s losses.
”When the jury returned their verdict, they offered their condolences to Mrs Watmough’s family.
“In her reaction to the offending Mrs Watmough said ‘you just don’t think someone you trust would do this’.”
Reeves had a 2006 caution for dishonesty.
Her counsel Keith Harrison said: ”She suffered significant stress whilst waiting for this case to be dealt with and it has had an impact on her mental health.
“She wants to put this behind her. Despite the fact she denies the offence, she realises the court has to respect the jury’s verdict.”
Reeves was also ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work 20 Rehabilitation Requirement Days and was ordered to attend a woman’s problem solving court.
She will face a Proceeds of Crime hearing later.
