Woman who blamed stolen £78K on fake prostitute avoids jail

Lydia Forrester, 61, took the money from Rutland Haulage in Manningtree, while she worked there between 2014 and 2019. She was arrested and charged with fraud in 2022.

Owner Patrick Donaghy, who had previously told investigators he trusted Forrester completely to oversee the company finances, died in April 2023 amid proceedings.

The defendant denied two counts of fraud but was found guilty of one charge and cleared of another when she stood trial at Chelmsford Crown Court in January this year.

Bank statements showed money being debited from her accounts in Greece, Jamaica and France, despite the fact there was no evidence she had paid to travel there.

Fraud - Forrester had blamed the missing money on a Ghanian prostitute who didn't exist (Image: Newsquest)

Forrester had tried to conceal her fraud by transferring the money to an account opened in 1988 under fake name ‘Linda George’.

She claimed Linda George was a Ghanaian prostitute who was abusing her relationship with business owner Patrick Donaghy by transferring company funds to herself, but investigators found no record of Linda George ever existing.

At her sentencing hearing on Thursday at Chelmsford Crown Court, Recorder Nicola Fitches said: “Despite saying that this woman was known to your children and was your best friend for 30 years, you did not give any evidence whatsoever of her existence.”

She said probation have had three attempts at getting information from Forrester and each time “a slightly different account has come out”.

The court heard Forrester told probation she needed a full-time carer and that her daughter received public money for being a full-time carer; that she was actually the one caring for her daughter; that she was unable to leave the house; that she was going to be a full-time carer for a young child every weekend; that she travelled in cars to care for her grandson at least three days a week; and that she couldn’t afford a petrol car.  

“The story has changed constantly,” Recorder Fitches said.

Holiday - Bank statements showed money being debited from Forrester's accounts in Greece, Jamaica and France (Image: Assy, Pixabay)

The court heard social services had provided a statement around Forrester’s daughter and how she benefits from a stable home – but that Forrester had never told social services she was subject to criminal proceedings and may face custody.

Martin Taylor, mitigating, stressed the impact custody would have on Forrester’s vulnerable teenage daughter.

The court heard Forrester has also suffered from depression, anxiety, and other physical health problems due to stress from the delay in court proceedings, which were understood to be largely due to the pandemic.

Sentence - Forrester has been sentenced to 24 months suspended for 24 months, with 28 rehabilitation activity requirement days (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Forrester has no previous convictions and continues to deny the offences.

Recorder Fitches said: “Patrick Donaghy said in his victim personal statement that he was worried Rutland Haulage would have to cease trading and that he borrowed money from another company to keep it afloat.

“I have real concerns which I have outlined over whether there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation given that you are still denying your offending.”

She added the impact of custody on Forrester’s daughter would be one of “extreme hardship” and felt her relationships with her family would motivate her not to reoffend.

Forrester, 61, of Candy Street, Tower Hamlets, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months, with 28 rehabilitation activity requirement days.