A woman “deceived and manipulated” her elderly stepfather out of half a million pounds by buying his family home on the cheap, selling his shares and transferring money from his bank accounts.
Geraldine Lea Skevington-Roberts, 69, allegedly abused her position as power of attorney to buy Todsbrook House in the village of Turvey in Bedfordshire at £150,000 below its market value.
She used money from Donald Skevington’s accounts to help her buy the home and transferred money from the accounts they held together into her own, a jury of nine men and three women at Luton Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Andrew Price said Mr Skevington had been living in a care home died aged 94 in October 2021. In a police recorded interview before his death the elderly man, who had been married to Geraldine’s mother Norah, said he had been “pushed and shoved – not physically, but mentally” to sell the house and would not have let the defendant sell his shares.
Mr Price told the jury large amounts of money had been moved. “It is suspected money was moved overseas for a property, which is corroborated by the defendant opening a bank account in Slovakia,” he said.
Money was also spent on Amazon, travel, health and beauty.Finance with BMW had been cleared and a large amount went to a debt recovery company. There were also payments for gym membership and purchases at TK Maxx, he said.
It was alleged that on March 7, 2019 when the elderly man’s assets were dissipated the defendant signed a disclaimer meaning she no longer had legal power of attorney.
She had held that position since 23.10.17.
Skevington-Roberts of Mill Green, Turvey denies three charges of fraud by abuse of position.
The counts allege:
Between 5th September 2017 an 7th April 2018 she abused her position to effect the sale of Todsbrook House
Between 31 January 2019 and 22 March 2019 sold Mr Skevington’s shares for her benefit
Between 31 December 2017 and 27 September 2019 used his money for her own benefit.
At the start of the trial at, Judge Ross Johnson told the jury Skevington-Roberts is in a wheelchair and “assisted” by oxygen. She is seated behind her barrister David Walbank KC, rather than in the dock.
Opening the case, Mr Price said: “She abused her position of lasting power of attorney. It involved dishonesty. The defendant enriched herself.”
He told the jury they question was whether Mr Skevington, who was in his 90s and suffered with macular degeneration, had given his step-daughter permission to “dissipate” his money or whether he had been “deceived and manipulated.”
The court heard Donald Skevington had been married Norah Skevington, the defendant’s mother. The police were involved when Jacqueline Bolton, the defendant’s sister and Norah’s other daughter, realised large amounts of money had gone missing. Mr Skevington’s son Graham was married to Susan Blackwell and they had a son James, said Mr Price.
Todsbrook house was said to be dear to Mr Skevington who had lived there all his life before he went into the care home. He was said to have wanted it to remain in the family.
The prosecutor said the house was valued in 2017 at £475,000 and in 2019 at £500,000. In March 2018 the defendant purchased it for £322,000, using a loan and money from Mr Skevington’s accounts.
Money that was in the joint account controlled by the defendant on behalf of Mr Skevington was then said to have been transferred to the defendant’s accounts.
It was alleged that in February and March 2019, £143,000 was cashed in from shares held by Mr Skevington. In his police video interview he said he would never give permission to sell the shares.
Mr Price said: “Donald disagreed he gifted his (step) daughter assets. She used his money to pay for things for herself. She used his money as she wanted.
“She was abusing the position she was given. She was doing so dishonestly “
When interviewed by the police on 29 October 2019 Geraldine Skevington-Roberts said that her step-father had gifted her everything she owned and she could spend the money as she saw fit.
Case proceeding
It is expected to last 3 weeks
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