UK court jails fraudster for four years

A UK court has sentenced 54-year old Abbi Kinsella to four years in jail after she stole her mother, Margaret Bowyer’s GBP 100 000 life savings to fuel a gambling habit.

Kinsella, a former lotto winner of GBP 175 000, left her mother destitute after she transferred GBP 61 000 from her mother’s account into her own and withdrew GBP 38 000 in cash over a period of three years.

During this time, Kinsella spent GBP 34 000 on an online bingo site named in court papers as Sun Bingo and took a luxury holiday to St Tropez.

Judge Mark Eades at Stafford Crown Court said during sentencing:

“You betrayed your mother’s trust in a callous and unfeeling fashion.

“You bled her finances dry.

“You lied and lied and lied and lied and as each lie was demonstrated to be false you lied upon lie. You are a serial liar who has no conscience at all.

“You enjoyed living way beyond your means. you had a win on the lottery, you won a substantial sum that you got through very quickly and I dare say you enjoyed the freedom that win gave you.

“But when that money ran out, it strikes me; you had difficulty coming to terms with the position you were in before your win.”

Kinsella will have to pay back only GBP 1 as it was determined that she had no assets.

Her mother in the meantime was placed in a care home for the elderly after she was evicted from the house she lived in when bills to the tune of GBP 20 000 went unpaid.

According to court reporters, Kinswella showed no emotion as she was jailed.