Latest news with #RachelWilson
Evening Standard
20-07-2025
- Evening Standard
Man arrested after elderly couple killed in fire
The man from St Helens was arrested in the early hours of Sunday on suspicion of murder and remains in custody for questioning.Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson, senior investigating officer, said: 'Although an arrest has been made, I would like to take this opportunity to remind people to pass on information directly to police or anonymously via Crimestoppers, and not to comment or post in any way which jeopardises this ongoing work.'Extensive inquiries continue, and to that end we are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward, particularly if you live in the area of South John Street and recall seeing or hearing anything suspicious at around the time of the incident. Please do not assume what you know has already been reported to us, as we can quickly make that assessment.'
The Independent
17-07-2025
- The Independent
Detectives seek motive after elderly couple killed in ‘sickening' arson attack
Detectives are working to find a motive following a 'sickening' arson attack which killed a 'lovely' couple. Peter Eric Greener, 77, known as Eric, died on Wednesday night, and his partner Sheila Jackson, 83, died on Thursday morning following the fire at the house on South John Street in St Helens on Tuesday, a spokesman for Merseyside Police said. Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said a murder investigation had been launched following the deaths of the couple, who were rescued from the home after emergency services were called at 12.40am on Tuesday. Ms Wilson said: 'The motive will form part of our inquiries. 'It's in the early stages. 'We are looking through CCTV, you'll see officers doing house-to-house inquiries, we're looking for dashcam footage and that will help build a picture of what's gone on. 'We have got some positive lines of inquiry.' She said police would be looking at whether it was a targeted attack. Following a joint investigation with the fire service, police said it was determined that an accelerant was used by a third party to start the fire 'maliciously'. Ms Wilson said the type of accelerant used in the blaze was not yet known and it was too early to say how the fire was started. She added: 'Sheila and Eric had been together for 30 years. 'They'd lived at South John Street for 15 years, and neighbours have described them as a lovely couple, well known in the area. 'So we are determined to find out what's happened to them and why.' Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath said: 'This is a truly shocking incident and I'm sure that the community and everyone in Merseyside will be utterly appalled at what has happened. 'It's difficult to comprehend how someone could deliberately start a fire while two elderly people are inside the home. 'It's absolutely sickening, and we are determined to find the person or people responsible. 'An investigation is ongoing as we look to establish exactly why this has happened and we are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. 'If you live in this community and saw or heard something suspicious at any point during this evening, please let us know as a matter of urgency. 'Also, if you have CCTV or a smart doorbell, take the time to review any footage you have to see if you captured anything that could prove to be significant. 'Even if it appears to be a small detail, it could end up being vital to our inquiries. 'I would also ask that any drivers who have dashcam footage and were in the area of South John Street and Parr Street between midnight and 1am to contact us if you have captured anything significant.' Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police by calling 101, quoting incident reference 25000580909, or through social media via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook at Merseyside Police Contact Centre. Information can be given through Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Daily Record
19-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Mum sobs 'I'm sorry' as £200k swindle exposed after she goes on holiday
Rachel Wilson was jailed after stealing over £200,000 from her employer to fund her husband's drug addiction. 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. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. 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.'
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Mother-of-two who stole more than £200,000 from her employer to fund her husband's drug habit is jailed
A mother-of-two who stole over £200,000 from a prestigious Liverpool law firm in a desperate attempt to fund her husband's drug addiction wept in the dock as she was jailed this week. Rachel Wilson, 43, betrayed the trust of her long-time employers during a four-year fraud campaign and was only caught out when she took a holiday and a colleague uncovered her lies. The disgraced head cashier, who had worked at Liverpool Legal Services Ltd (formerly Rex Makin and Co) for 16 years, wiped away tears as she was sentenced to two years and two months in prison on Wednesday at Liverpool Crown Court. Wearing a black hoodie over a floral dress, glasses perched on her nose and her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders, Wilson cried out 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' to her family in the public gallery as she was led away. Her father blew her a kiss in return, while her son reassured her with the words: 'Don't be sorry. Love you mum.' The court heard that Wilson from Southport, began siphoning off funds as early as April 2020, orchestrating 89 bogus payments worth more than £13,500 to bank and savings accounts in her own name, disguised as payments to 'external consultants'. Prosecutor Joanne Maxwell explained that she had also fabricated and cashed cheques totalling a staggering £196,000, under the pretence of paying for office necessities like postage and furniture. Her deceit unravelled in August 2024 when a colleague covering for her during annual leave spotted financial discrepancies, prompting an internal investigation. Wilson, a mother to a teenage daughter and adult son, confessed during a disciplinary hearing the following month. She made full admissions again when interviewed by police, stating she had acted out of desperation to support her husband's drug dependency. Lloyd Morgan, defending, said: 'This is a 43-year-old woman who has not been in trouble before and faces a very serious situation. 'It is one that she is extremely remorseful about. She is ashamed of her behaviour and acting so fraudulently for such a long time in a trusted position.' He continued: 'I will not go into the behaviour to which she was subjected. She made nothing out of this fraud. There was no lavish lifestyle. There are no assets of any sort. She is working again now. It was done to fund her husband's drug addiction, without going into any further detail.' The court also heard how Wilson had taken steps to turn her life around, voluntarily undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy and receiving treatment for anxiety and depression. Mr Morgan added: 'She felt that she had no choice and made a terrible decision and a bad decision. She felt that she did not have any other way out. 'She has a daughter living at the house. There will be a significant effect on her, were she to be deprived of her mother's presence in that house.' Recorder Mark Ainsworth acknowledged the difficult circumstances Wilson faced but stressed that the breach of trust and scale of the fraud meant custody was inevitable. He told her: 'For the vast majority of your adult life, you have been working for the firm that became Liverpool Legal Services Ltd, a well-known firm of solicitors operating here in Liverpool. You were operating as their head cashier.' 'When you were confronted by the firm, you admitted what you had done. You have not tried to prevaricate or avoid blame since these matters came to light, and I bear that in mind.' 'It is clear that you were taking this money not for high living or anything of that nature. You were faced with a difficult situation and sought to deal with it in this dishonest way.' He added: 'Any business that loses £200,000, or thereabouts, is going to suffer. There is also the impact on others who are perfectly innocent. I have in mind both of your children but particularly your daughter, who is 14 years of age and who will be impacted by what may happen in this case.' Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position.
Business Wire
17-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
James Hardie Industries plc Announces Successful Closing of Offering of Senior Secured Notes
SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) ('James Hardie' or the 'Company') announced today the successful closing of its previously announced private offering of $700,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2031 (the '2031 Notes') and $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2032 (the '2032 Notes,' and together with the 2031 Notes, the 'Notes') of its wholly-owned subsidiary, JH North America Holdings Inc. (the 'Issuer'). The 2031 Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.875% per annum and the 2032 Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.125% per annum. James Hardie currently intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with borrowings under its credit facilities and cash on hand, to finance the aggregate cash consideration in the proposed acquisition of the AZEK Company Inc. ('AZEK'), to repay and terminate AZEK's existing credit facility and to pay related transaction fees and expenses. The proceeds of the Notes were placed into escrow pending consummation of the proposed AZEK merger. If the merger is not consummated, the Issuer will be required to repay the aggregate principal amount of the Notes in full, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. The offering was multiple times oversubscribed, and the Notes were rated investment grade by more than one rating agency. 'We are pleased with the strong show of interest that this offering received from a broad range of investors and appreciate their support. The investment grade rating and significant oversubscription on the Notes underscores the confidence in our value proposition and conviction in our future,' said Rachel Wilson, James Hardie's Chief Financial Officer. Discussing the Company's broader post-offering debt portfolio, Ms. Wilson stated that 'between the syndication of our credit facility and the closing of this notes offering, we have established permanent financing in anticipation of the acquisition closing. With a current blended cost of capital at 5.7%, an average tenor of approximately 5 years, and a fixed to floating ratio of 70%, we have what we believe to be a well-balanced and flexible debt portfolio enabling prepayment and appropriate management of price, tenor, and rate.' The Notes and the related guarantees have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act'), or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. As a result, they may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any U.S. persons, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Accordingly, the Notes and the related guarantees were offered only to persons reasonably believed to be 'qualified institutional buyers' in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A under the Securities Act or, outside the United States, to persons other than 'U.S. persons' in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. You are hereby notified that sellers of the Notes and the related guarantees are relying on the exemption from the provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act provided by Rule 144A. This communication is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Forward Looking Statements Statements in this communication that are not historical facts are 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Rule 175 promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 3b-6 promulgated thereunder, which statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements about: the proposed Acquisition, including estimated synergies, and the expected timing of completion of the Acquisition; the use of proceeds from the Notes offering and borrowings under the Company's existing credit facilities, and any other financing transactions related to the Acquisition; the Company's future performance or expectations; and the Company's plans, objectives or goals. Words such as 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'plan,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'target,' 'estimate,' 'project,' 'predict,' 'trend,' 'forecast,' 'guideline,' 'aim,' 'objective,' 'will,' 'should,' 'could,' 'likely,' 'continue,' 'may,' 'objective,' 'outlook' and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements of James Hardie and AZEK, respectively, are based on the current expectations, estimates and assumptions of James Hardie and AZEK, respectively, and, because forward-looking statements address future results, events and conditions, they, by their very nature, involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond the control of James Hardie or AZEK. Such known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results, performance or other achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed, projected or implied by forward-looking statements. These factors include risks and uncertainties relating to the Acquisition, including, but not limited to, the possibility that required approvals of the Acquisition by AZEK's stockholders and other conditions to closing are not received or satisfied on a timely basis or at all; the possible occurrence of events that may give rise to a right of either or both of James Hardie and AZEK to terminate the merger agreement providing for the Acquisition; possible negative effects of the announcement or the consummation of the Acquisition on the market price of James Hardie's and/or AZEK's shares and/or on their respective businesses, financial conditions, results of operations and financial performance; the impact of the additional indebtedness the Company would incur in connection with the Acquisition; risks relating to the value of the James Hardie shares to be issued in the Acquisition and the contemplated listing arrangements for James Hardie shares and depositary interests following the Acquisition; risks relating to significant transaction costs and/or unknown liabilities; the possibility that the anticipated synergies and other benefits from the Acquisition cannot be realized in full or at all or may take longer to realize than expected; risks associated with contracts containing consent and/or other provisions that may be triggered by the Acquisition; risks associated with Acquisition-related litigation; the possibility that costs or difficulties related to the integration of James Hardie's and AZEK's businesses will be greater than expected; the risk that the Acquisition and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the parties' relationships with its and their employees and other business partners, including suppliers and customers; the potential for the Acquisition to divert the time and attention of management from ongoing business operations; the potential for contractual restrictions under the merger agreement providing for the Acquisition to adversely affect the parties' ability to pursue other business opportunities or strategic transactions; the risk of other Acquisition related disruptions to the businesses, including business plans and operations, of James Hardie and AZEK; and the possibility that, as a result of the Acquisition or otherwise, James Hardie could lose its foreign private issuer status and be required to bear the costs and expenses related to full compliance with rules and regulations that apply to U.S. domestic issuers. There can be no assurance that the Acquisition will in fact be consummated in the manner described or at all. These factors are not necessarily all of the factors that could cause James Hardie's, AZEK's or the combined company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of the forward-looking statements. Other factors, including unknown or unpredictable factors, could also harm James Hardie's, AZEK's or the combined company's results.
