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7 months ago
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A mother accused of stealing £50,000 inheritance from her two daughters 'recruited' her 93-year-old dad into her secret theft plot, a court heard.
Katherine Hill, 53, and her father Gerald Hill, 93, staged a 'blatant and brazen' fraud by taking every penny the two girls were left.
The £50,000 bequest was left for Gemma Thomas and Jessica Thomas by their beloved grandmother Margaret on the provision that they could access it when they turned 25.
A court heard Katherine Hill and her father were trustees of the account - and allegedly emptied it in just over a year.
It is the prosecution's case that the withdrawals were made either by Katherine Hill - who worked at the nearby Lloyds bank - or by Gerald Hill acting as his daughter's 'stooge'.
Katherine Hill (pictured) has been accused of stealing her daughters' £50,000 inheritance from their grandmother
A court heard that Katherine Hill 'recruited' her 93-year-old father Gerald Hill (pictured) into her plot, but he claims he had been withdrawing cash and posting it through the letterbox of the house where his granddaughters lived
Prosecutor James Hartson said Margaret died in 2013 with the money for her grandchildren placed in a trust managed in part by their mother.
Mr Hartson said Katherine Hill later placed the money into a Barclays Everyday Saver account, despite being advised not to - which allowed instant access.
Katherine and Gerald Hill both had cards for the account and within 12 months of it being opened most of the £50,000 had been withdrawn through cash withdrawals.
The transactions included one for £15,000 and others for £10,000 - along with a single bank transfer of £2,300 directly into Katherine Hill's account.
She claims that transaction was used to pay for the family's boxer dog operation, which Jessica had agreed to.
She told police that smaller amounts of money were spent on shopping trips at New Look and Primark on behalf of her daughters.
She said: 'It was for their benefit - I didn't think I was doing anything wrong.'
The court heard that alleged fraud was only realised in 2018 when one of the daughters asked to access her share of the funds early to help buy a house with her boyfriend.
Gemma Thomas (pictured) and her sister Jessica Thomas were left £50,000 by their grandmother but they have not seen a penny of it, a court heard
Jessica Thomas (pictured) and her sister Gemma Thomas lost their grandmother in 2013
Swansea Crown Court was told that Katherine Hill would not be giving evidence, but Gerald Hill would be
Solicitors began a civil investigation into the fund and the police were called in.
The court heard that Christopher Thomas, Katherine Hill's ex-husband and Jessica and Gemma's dad, reported the alleged fraud to the police.
Mr Hartson said Katherine Hill told police she had known nothing about the large withdrawals of cash until her father told her he had been putting it in envelopes and posting it where his granddaughters lived.
Swansea Crown Court was told that Katherine Hill would exercise her right not to give evidence - but her father Gerald Hill took to the witness box to give evidence.
He said that it was his own decision to withdraw money from the account and give the majority of £50,000 to his granddaughters in 'instalments' - by posting envelopes of cash through the letter box of their home 'every so often.'
He told the court he did this as a way of 'easing the situation' as the girls were harassing their mother for money and thought it would save his daughter's 'sanity.'
Gerald Hill said he would drive from his home on Gower, South Wales, to the Barclays bank in Llansamlet and withdraw cash using the card for the account - and take the money back home to his chalet.
He then would 'distribute' the money to his granddaughters by driving to their home in the evenings and posting the envelopes through the letterbox - without speaking to the girls or their father.
Gerald Hill, who formerly ran a B&B in Oxwich and worked for Royal Mail, denied acting under instruction and denied using any of the money himself.
He said he did what he did 'purely and simply to ease the situation between them [the granddaughters] and their mother', adding: 'I didn't know what else to do - I thought it was the best thing to do.'
When cross-examined by prosecutor James Hartson, Hill denied that he had been 'coached' by his daughter about what to say.
He told the court that he had chosen the bank 'practically next to' where his daughter worked as it was a branch he knew and was comfortable with.
Sister Jessica Thomas was left £50,000 by her late grandmother but discovered her mother had moved the money into another account and spent it
Mr Hartson said that Gerald Hill had been 'recruited' by his daughter who had exploited the love he felt for her and then used him as a 'stooge' before 'throwing him under the bus.'
He added that Katherine Hill did not have the courage to go into the witness box to answer questions.
Gerald Hill replied: 'She knew nothing about it. I did it off my own back. Nobody asked me to do it'.
The court heard that Katherine Hill's relationship with her daughters became difficult after the divorce from her ex-husband and she suffered with her health and mental health.
She said Jessica and Gemma were living a lavish lifestyle with her ex-partner and claims that they no longer would eat at McDonald's - only 'posh places' - and demand money from her for a new phone, holidays and clothes.
DC Aled Brothers, the officer in charge of the case, said the cash 'is impossible to follow' and there is no way to trace the money.
Gerald Hill told DC Brothers that he would always protect his daughter, adding: 'I'd die for her.'
Mr Hartson, described Katherine Hill as a manipulative and dishonest woman - and lies were 'comfortable and easy' for her.
He added she was 'no stranger to chucking members of her family under the bus.'
The barrister said the pair are 'thoroughly dishonest' and had acted contrary to their roles as trustees for the youngsters' money.
He said that the pair were guilty of a 'blatant and brazen' fraud in respect of the inheritance.
Katherine Hill of Pontardawe, and Gerald Hill, Gower, both deny fraud by abuse of position.
The trial at Swansea Crown Court continues.
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