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11/09/2006
Cash fraud counsellor receives five year sentence
A counsellor who conned one of her clients into handing over more than £200,000 has been jailed for five years.
Mary McCullagh, 59, was found guilty of 12 counts of obtaining money by deception and one of obtaining property by deception. The court heard how Miss McCullagh, who has several previous convictions for fraud, had tricked several of her clients into handing money over to her.
One victim, Nicole Anderson, who was receiving treatment for alcoholism, was told by Miss McCullagh that she would repay the £200,000 debt as soon as she received a fictitious inheritance.
Miss McCullagh also encouraged Ms Anderson to continue to drink, telling her that she risked dying from a fit if she stopped.
Miss McCullagh started an affair with another client, David Oliver, who gave her £9,000 after she told him that she needed money to fund treatment in America for her son's psychological problems.
Handing down the sentence, Judge John Beashel, said: “I am satisfied you carefully targeted your victims. These were cruel deceptions.”
(CL)
Mary McCullagh, 59, was found guilty of 12 counts of obtaining money by deception and one of obtaining property by deception. The court heard how Miss McCullagh, who has several previous convictions for fraud, had tricked several of her clients into handing money over to her.
One victim, Nicole Anderson, who was receiving treatment for alcoholism, was told by Miss McCullagh that she would repay the £200,000 debt as soon as she received a fictitious inheritance.
Miss McCullagh also encouraged Ms Anderson to continue to drink, telling her that she risked dying from a fit if she stopped.
Miss McCullagh started an affair with another client, David Oliver, who gave her £9,000 after she told him that she needed money to fund treatment in America for her son's psychological problems.
Handing down the sentence, Judge John Beashel, said: “I am satisfied you carefully targeted your victims. These were cruel deceptions.”
(CL)
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