A mother, Katherine Hill, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing £50,000 from her daughters’ inheritance out of “greed and spite.” The court found her and her 93-year-old father, Gerald Hill, guilty of fraud by abuse of power.
At Swansea Crown Court, it was revealed that the funds, left to Hill’s daughters, Jessica and Gemma Thomas, by their grandmother Margaret Hill, were meant to be held in trust until the girls turned 25. However, between March 2016 and March 2017, Katherine withdrew the entire amount through multiple transactions, leaving the sisters with nothing.
The fraudulent actions came to light in 2018 when Gemma sought access to the funds for a house deposit. Initial recovery attempts through insurers failed due to false claims made by the defendants. While Katherine was jailed, Gerald received a 12-month suspended sentence, as his involvement was deemed to be influenced by his daughter.
The loss of their inheritance continues to impact the victims significantly. A proceeds of crime investigation will aim to recover the missing funds.