A new mother has narrowly avoided prison after admitting she suspected her ex-partner was putting cash in their bank account from a foreign currency fraud.

Jennifer Gorman had access to £22,900 from the scam which saw her former husband, Christopher, con people out of £172,000 by selling currency at a vastly reduced rate claiming he had a relative working in a bank.

Teesside Crown Court heard how his fraud left a significant number of customers out of pocket to the tune of £140,000.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said the cash was placed in the joint account between July and September 2017 and the 31-year-old admitted that she suspected the money came from a criminal enterprise.

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Gorman, now of Roslin Street, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property – the cash.

Amos Waldman, in mitigation, said his client was no longer in a relationship with her husband and had recently become a mother to a premature child who had some medical conditions.

Mr Waldman said Gorman was also waiting for an operation on her hip.

Recorder Thomas Moran sentenced her to a 12-month community orders and told her she needed to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.