'Greedy' mum ordered to pay back £50,000 she stole from her own daughters
A woman has been ordered to pay back £50,000 she stole from her own daughters' inheritance from their grandmother. Margaret Hill placed the gift in a trust for her granddaughters, Gemma Thomas and Jessica Thomas, for their 25th birthdays before her death in 2013. Their mum, Katherine Hill, 53, and granddad, Gerald Hill, 93, were trustees of the account, but instead of protecting their inheritance they raided the account for themselves, emptying it within a year while Gemma and Jessica were still children.
A court heard that due to inflation the sum stolen by the siblings' "greedy and spiteful" mother and grandfather would now be worth somewhere in the region of £65,000. Jessica was 12 and Gemma was 15 when their grandmother died. Their mum and grandfather tried to claim they had posted cash in envelopes through the girls' letterboxes.
But the Hills were found guilty of fraud by abuse of power at a trial last year. Katherine Hill was jailed for 30 months and her father was given a 12 month suspended sentence.
The judge told Hill she stole the money because she was "so annoyed" her daughters received more money than she did, adding she "took their inheritance" from them.
Katherine Hill, from Alltwen in Pontardawe, Neath Port Talbot, had deposited the money into an instant access Barclays Everyday Saver account despite being advised not to, the court heard.
She and Mr Hill, from Fairwood in Swansea, both had cards for the account and within 12 months of it opening most of the £50,000 had been taken out as cash withdrawals.
The fraud was only realised in 2018 when one of the girls asked for her money early so she could buy a house with her boyfriend.
The Hills returned to Swansea Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime Hearing on Monday (June 2) in a bid to claw back the money.
Prosecutor James Hartson said Hill initially told investigators she had a 50% equity share in her partner's home after paying the mortgage for nine years.
But she later withdrew the claim and said she had no equitable right to the house - with Mr Hartson saying her change of mind was a "thoroughly dishonest" attempt to avoid payment.
Judge, Recorder Greg Bull KC ruled in favour of the prosecution and said Hill had "laundered" some of her daughters' money by paying her partner's mortgage.
He said Hill and window cleaner Phillip Lloyd "lived together as man and wife" and she could repay her daughters by raising equity from their home.
Recorder Bull said: "It is significant that investigations could not reveal what had happened either to that £50,000, or to what had happened to other relatively substantial sums left to Katherine Hill after her mother's demise.
"She still maintains she has never received the £50,000. I disbelieve her on that and I find her answer to be totally untruthful."
He said Mr Lloyd is "fully aware" of what happened to the £50,000 and has "probably helped her at least launder it, if not enjoy the fruits of her fraud".
Recorder Bull added: "That £50,000 was used for the benefit of both of them. It would have been used to pay the mortgage. It would have been used to pay their utilities. It would have been used to enjoy their lifestyles - a lifestyle that they would not have been able to afford."
He described Hill and Mr Lloyd as a couple who shared their income and the money looted by Miss Hill from her daughters.
Katherine Hill was told she must pay £50,000 in three months or face six months prison in default.
Mr Hill was ordered to pay £6,000 for his part in the fraud or face three months in prison.
The court heard if neither of the Hills pay they will be jailed, but their debts would not be cleared.
