A WOMAN who fleeced her vulnerable partner and mother out of more than £65,000 told a court a 'fantastical' story of taking the money soley to pay blackmailers.

Wendy Wilkinson, 53, told Durham Crown Court the blackmailers had told her they video tape of two men raping her girlfriend and would release the footage if she did not pay them. 

She admitted transferring the money from her partner's bank accounts, but in a basis of plea hearing said she had only taken £6,000 for herself and paid the rest to blackmailers.

The Northern Echo: Wendy Wilkinson Picture: DURHAM POLICEWendy Wilkinson Picture: DURHAM POLICE

Rejecting her account, Recorder Thomas Moran: "You claim you were selflessly protecting her from a shocking video when in reality it was the polar opposite - you were exploiting her for everything you could get.

“The court witnessed what I find to be a shameless, theatrical, transparently dishonest self-pitying performance by you.

“I am in no doubt that the whole account was an elaborate series of lies, the product of your vivid imagination and deep-seated dishonesty.

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"The foundation of the alleged blackmail is absurd. The story is inherently fantastic and unbelievable. The victim herself was asked about it and said nothing like that happened."

The court was told that Wilkinson had committed other offences against her partner involving sums in excess of £23,000 in 2007.

Despite that the woman, who has chronic mental health problems, restarted the relationship, which included giving Wilkinson access to her bank details.

Over the course of nearly four years Wilkinson stole over £65,000 from two accounts - one of them her partner's joint account with her now late mother.  

As part of her “sophisticated scam” Wilkinson set up internet banking, which had not previously been on the accounts, and also stopped hard copy bank statements being issued to prevent her being detected.

Although the bank reimbursed her victim by £28,000, most of it had to be used to pay for the late mother’s care home fees, which had not been paid.

The judge said: "You claim you gave every penny to these men but you were living a life well beyond your means, including a commitment to spending over £600 a month on a Land Rover.

"There is no truth whatsoever in the account that you have given. You are motivated by sheer greed and the story you came up with was a further example of your manipulative exploitative character particularly in relation to the victim in this case."

In a statement the victim said she was suicidal when the theft came to light because she was so stressed by demands from debt collecting companies. 

The judge added: "She said she wasn't sure whether she would ever be able to trust anyone again. In fact since this happened, she has married you. I am going to refrain from making any comment about that." 

Wilkinson, of The Crescent, Stainton Grove, near Barnard Castle,who pleaded guilty to theft and two charges of fraud, was sentenced to three years in jail.

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