Woman Conned Relatives £150k, Must Repay Just £1

A Newport woman who defrauded her aunt and uncle out of £150,000 for holidays and designer clothes has been ordered to pay back only £1 under proceeds of crime laws. 😠

Lucy Paginton, 29, betrayed Frank and Mary Hillier – aged 88 and 90 – who had helped raise her from age two-and-a-half whilst her parents worked. The couple had “spoiled” her with gifts, arranged car leases, and treated her like their own granddaughter.

Newport Crown Court heard how in 2017, when Paginton was 20, the Hilliers agreed to help her buy a house. The plan was they would pay deposits for two properties – one for Paginton and one for themselves, which would pass to her after their deaths.

Instead, she pocketed the cash and used forged Halifax bank documents and fake correspondence with Redrow housebuilders to maintain the deception for four years.

Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said: “When one considers Miss Paginton and her bank statements, one can see that in effect the payments were simply made to fund her lifestyle. There were visits to the Celtic Manor Resort, payments to Flannels, a high end designer clothing shop. There were also payments to various travel companies noted within her bank statements.”

The heartbroken victims said she had “ruined our lives” but confessed they still loved her. 💔

Judge Carl Harrison told Paginton: “Your victims thought highly of you, looking after you on and off since you were two-and-a-half years old. Mr Hillier looked at you as a granddaughter. They trusted you and they loved you. It was that love and trust that led them to falling victims to your repeated dishonest behaviour.”

He added: “You cynically and repeatedly over a period of time – for four years – abused the trust that Frank and Mary Hillier placed in you to enrich yourself and defraud them. They described it as being a living hell. They are an elderly couple who should be looking forward to their future. Their lives have been ruined by your selfish actions. Mary Hillier sets out in her victim impact statement impact that she has the feeling of being betrayed.”

Paginton, of Cot Farm Circle, was jailed for four years and two months in January. At a proceeds of crime hearing, despite benefiting by just over £150,000, she must repay only £1 as she has no assets.