A woman who was accused of “deceiving and manipulating” her elderly stepfather out of his shares and money was on Thursday April 4, 2024, convicted of fraud.
Geraldine Lea Skevington-Roberts, 69, from Mill Green, Turvey near Bedford was found to have abused her position as power of attorney over Donald Skevington’s affairs to “enrich herself”.
A jury of nine men and three women at Luton Crown Court found her guilty of two charges of fraud by abuse of position relating.
Earlier this week, Judge Ross Johnson ruled that Skevington-Roberts, who has stage four cancer, had no case to answer on a charge that she abused her position to buy Mr Skevington’s home, Todsbrook House in Turvey.
Prosecutor Andrew Price said Mr Skevington had been living in a care home when he died aged 94 in October 2021.
The prosecutor said before he died the defendant’s sister realised large amounts of money had gone and contacted the police.
Skevington-Roberts, who is said to have benefited to the tune of between £300,000 and £400,000, cashed in £143,000 worth of the elderly man’s shares.
Mr Price told the jury: “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. On 7 March 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.
Ms Skevington-Roberts appeared in court in a wheelchair. She told the jury she felt “sad and betrayed” when the police were contacted by her sister. “It came out of the blue.
I did not know why my sister had done this to me,” she said.
She said Donald had told her that she was “the daughter he never had” and had wanted her to have the money.
Her barrister David Walbank KC told the jury that when she was arrested the bulk of the money was still sitting in her accounts.
“There was no evidence she was to grab it all for herself and leave him penniless. She was continuing to spend the money on his behalf,” he said.
He said she had suffered adverse publicity in the press and talk in the village describing the past four years as a “living hell” for her.
The judge said he will pass a suspended jail sentence because of her “exceptional health issues.”
The prosecutor Mr Price said there will be a confiscation hearing at a later date.
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