A NEWPORT woman has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for defrauding an elderly couple, aged 88 and 90, out of £150,000. Lucy Paginton, 28, who was partially raised by the victims, Jack and Mary Hillier, was trusted by them with their finances, but exploited that trust to carry out a series of fraudulent acts.
The fraud began in 2017 when Paginton manipulated the Hilliers into believing they were funding a property purchase for themselves and their family. She used a variety of deceptive methods, including falsifying documents, to convince them that a property sale was underway. In fact, there was no such sale, and Paginton was spending the money on luxury holidays, high-end clothing, and stays at the Celtic Manor Resort.
Prosecutor Mr Thomas Stanway explained that Paginton had fabricated several documents, including false bank statements from Halifax and letters from housebuilding company Redrow, to give the appearance that she was handling the Hilliers’ finances in connection with property purchases. The couple had transferred over £100,000 to Paginton, believing they were securing a new home for themselves and their family. In addition, she made false claims to Mr. Hillier about civil claims and legal matters, which convinced him to make payments totalling £12,000 for fees that were never due.
In total, the Hilliers were defrauded of £150,000, and an additional £12,000 was nearly taken from them. Paginton’s actions included creating letters from HM Courts and Tribunal Service and solicitors’ firms to support her claims. She also misled Mr. Hillier about legal proceedings concerning a caution he had received, ultimately making him feel entitled to further compensation.
The fraud was uncovered when the Hilliers began to question the legitimacy of the transactions, only to discover they had been misled for years. Following a report to the police, an investigation revealed that the money had been spent on extravagant items and activities, including stays at luxury hotels and purchases from upscale retailers such as Flannels.
Paginton later admitted to seven counts of fraud by false representation, just a week before her trial was set to begin. She had previously maintained that the money was accepted as “gifts” from the Hilliers. Despite her previous good character, she pleaded guilty to the charges.
The victims, Jack and Mary Hillier, spoke in court about the devastating impact of Paginton’s actions on their health and lives. Jack Hillier, 88, said, “Since we realised we had been defrauded by Lucy, it has been very difficult for us. The whole investigation was unnecessarily stressful, lack of sleep and made me unwell. I am taking medication as a result of this and I am being treated for stress, anxiety and depression which have been caused by her actions.”
He added, “We trusted her to help us as we grew older but she took advantage of us. Instead of telling us the truth, she tried to get more money out of us by falsifying documents. It’s hard because we still love her but she broke our trust.”
Mary Hillier, 90, said, “It hurts because she lied to us and we showed her so much love. We were willing to buy her a house but she decided to steal from us instead. It’s affected my mental health and my husband’s physical and mental health.”
The defence led by Mr Neil Evans, argued that his client was immature for her age and had been brought up in financial circumstances beyond her means. He claimed that the fraud started small but grew uncontrollably. Paginton was also described as a single mother with an elderly grandfather.
His Honour Judge Carl Harrison, sentencing Paginton, remarked that she had subjected her victims to “repeated dishonest behaviour” and noted the significant emotional and financial toll on the Hilliers. As she was led to prison, Paginton sobbed, reflecting on the irreversible damage caused by her actions.