Mum sobs 'I'm sorry' as £200k swindle exposed after she goes on holiday
A sobbing mum-of-two said 'I'm sorry' to her children in court as she was jailed for stealing more than £200,000 from her employer over four years to fund her husband's drug addiction.
Rachel Wilson, 43, from Southport, was sentenced to two years and two months behind bars after admitting fraud by abuse of position. The court heard how the trusted head cashier at Liverpool Legal Services Ltd began siphoning off money during the height of the pandemic.
Wilson, who had worked at the firm for over a decade, carried out a sophisticated swindle—funnelling thousands into her personal bank accounts disguised as payments to fake consultants and forging cheques for office expenses like postage and furniture, reports the Mirror.
The fraud unravelled when a colleague spotted irregularities while Wilson was on holiday in August last year. In total, she stole over £209,000 between April 2020 and August 2023.
Liverpool Crown Court was told Wilson used the stolen money to support her husband's spiralling drug habit, insisting she saw 'no way out' at the time. She confessed during a disciplinary meeting in September 2024 and later repeated her admissions to police. She had no prior convictions.
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In court, Wilson wept as she looked towards her father and adult son in the public gallery, repeatedly saying: 'I'm sorry.' Her son replied, 'Don't be sorry. Love you, Mum,' while her father blew her a kiss as she was led to the cells.
Her defence solicitor, Lloyd Morgan, said Wilson was deeply remorseful and described her as a woman under extreme pressure, with no financial gain or lavish lifestyle to show for the theft.
'She felt trapped,' he said. 'There are no assets. This was not your typical fraud case. She's now receiving treatment for anxiety and depression and is engaging in therapy.'
Sentencing, Recorder Mark Ainsworth said: 'You were in a trusted position for many years. This was a sustained abuse of trust, and the impact on the company has been significant. But I also acknowledge your early admissions and personal circumstances.'
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