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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
43 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Entire flight cabin crew suspended after passenger's lost phone traced to their hotel
An investigation is underway after the airline confirmed all crew members on duty had been suspended. The entirety of an airline cabin crew has been suspended after a passenger's missing iPhone was traced to their hotel. On June 6, Michael Tjendara was flying from Jakarta to Melbourne when his phone disappeared aboard the Garuda Indonesia flight. The traveller says he left the device in his seat-back pocket, moved to a different seat after take-off and returned later to find it was gone, reports the Mirror. Tjendara was left stunned after he used Apple's Find My iPhone feature with what he had discovered. The phone's signal led to a spot near Southbank Promenade in Melbourne, right by the Mercure Hotel, where the airline's cabin crew was believed to be staying. The signal then moved toward Evan Walker Bridge. According to Tjendara, the final location showed the phone had been dropped into the Yarra River in south-central Victoria, Australia. He shared screenshots and updates about the theft to his Instagram, calling on nearby businesses to check CCTV and help identify the people responsible. "This isn't just about a phone - it's about the safety of all passengers in the future. Please help tag and share this story so the right people see it," he wrote. The shocking incident has sparked major attention across Indonesia. Garuda Indonesia's Director of Commercial and Cargo, Ade R. Susardi, said in a statement on June 9 that all crew members on duty had been suspended while a full investigation is underway. "We are in continuous communication with the concerned passenger and remain committed to supporting him throughout the follow-up process," he told Indonesia Business Post. The airline added that a company representative had been sent to help Mr Tjendara on the ground in Melbourne, and to assist him in filing a police report. Mr Susardi also apologised for the incident on behalf of the airline. "We can confirm that upon receiving the report, all cabin crew had followed standard operating and safety procedures, including promptly coordinating with airport authorities to initiate a search," he said. Garuda Indonesia, the national flag carrier of Indonesia, operates a large domestic and international network with hubs in Jakarta and Denpasar. The airline has been recognised as having the "World's Best Cabin Crew" on multiple occasions as part of Skytrax's 5-Star Airline awards. This prestigious award, often referred to as the "Oscars of the aviation industry," was handed to the airline throughout 2014-2018, and again in 2023. Garuda Indonesia has been contacted for an update in its investigation. 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'. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. We're also on Facebook - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
WhatsApp messaging app banned on all US House of Representatives devices
The WhatsApp messaging service has been banned on all US House of Representatives devices, according to a memo sent to House staff on Monday. The notice to all House staff said that the 'Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high-risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use.' The memo, from the chief administrative officer, recommended use of other messaging apps, including Microsoft Corp's Teams platform, Wickr, Signal, Apple's iMessage, and Facetime. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Signal app – which like Whatsapp uses end-to-end encrypted messaging – was at the center of a recent controversy in which Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, sent detailed information about planned attacks on Yemen to at least two private Signal group chats. One of the chats was created by Mike Waltz, the national security adviser, and included top US security officials as well as, inadvertently, the Atlantic magazine journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. The other Hegseth created himself, including his wife, his brother and about a dozen other people. The Pentagon had previously warned its employees against using Signal due to a technical vulnerability, according NPR, which reported that an 'OPSEC special bulletin' seen by its reporters and sent on 18 March said that Russian hacking groups could exploit the vulnerability in Signal to spy on encrypted organizations, potentially targeting 'persons of interest'. The Pentagon-wide memo said 'third party messaging apps' like Signal are permitted to be used to share unclassified information, but they are not allowed to be used to send 'non-public' unclassified information. Reuters contributed to this report.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Samsung cordless pet vacuum cleaner has £185 off - and it rivals Dyson's V8
Samsung cordless pet vacuum cleaner has £185 off - and it rivals Dyson's V8 The cordless vacuum is specifically targeted at pet owners Samsung has dropped the price of its popular vacuum (Image: Samsung ) Samsung, renowned for their smartphones and cutting-edge washing machines, has also ventured into vacuum cleaners, and now a highly sought-after model is available with a significant reduction of £185. The Jet 85 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum is now on offer at £294, a substantial drop from its original price of £479 on the Samsung website. The company describes it as a 'powerful but lightweight vacuum cleaner', boasting an array of features including a high-performance filtration system that claims to capture 99.999% of dust particles. Furthermore, it comes with four handy attachments – specifically a pet tool+, extension crevice tool, flexible tool, and a combination tool. For those struggling with pet hair, the pet tool+ is designed to remove even the most stubborn strands from carpets, hard floors, sofas, and mattresses. This particular Jet 85 Pet model comes in an attractive woody green shade and promises a full hour of run time when charged. Happy customers have rated the Samsung vacuum cleaner an impressive 4.5 overall. One customer, who made the switch from a Dyson, wrote: "Only had it a week so far, but really liking it so far. Easy to use, very light and good suction compared to my old Dyson V8.", reports the Mirror. They added praise for the user-friendly emptying process: "Emptying to bin is also better on the Jet, you don't get the waste everywhere. Performs much better than my Dyson and has a much more solid feel." Yet, one buyer pointed out a potential drawback of the vacuum's filter, warning potential buyers: "This vacuum is light and versatile - works reasonably well but has one flaw which anyone buying should be aware of. "It has a super fine particle filter - under normal use, this is probably a good thing, but if you have any building work, the filter constantly clogs, requiring disassembly." The Dyson V8 Advanced is a very popular choice, and the brand's website is currently offering an £80 discount on its original price - down from £329.99, to £249.99. For budget-friendly options, Amazon's got you sorted; the Vax Mach Air Upright Vacuum Cleaner is currently down to £69 from its usual £89.99. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here . Back to Samsung's popular Jet 85 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum, one user said: "Performs much better than my Dyson and has a much more solid feel." Another happy buyer wrote: "Good vacuum, has all the features you would expect." "Very mobile and light to carry around the house. Would have liked it more if a little more power to it but good for the discounted price I got it for." Article continues below Shark is also currently offering vacuum cleaner deals, with discounts on products such as the Anti Hair Wrap Upright Vacuum Cleaner, marked down to £149.99 from £229.99.
