A fraudster pretended to be a doctor and told people she had lost a twin to cancer in order to steal from a bereavement charity. Stephanie Jones, 30, defrauded the charity by making up an identity of a counsellor and sending false invoices to the charity for sessions which never happened.
The family of a murdered girl had to be contacted by police to check if they had received counselling as Jones had claimed, Caernarfon Crown Court heard. In total, it was found Jones had submitted 19 false invoices netting her £3,570 over nine months.
A judge said her behaviour was "vile, unthinkable and despicable" and she was branded a "chronic liar".
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Jones, of Nebo, admitted fraud by abuse of position at the "2 Wish Upon A Star" charity and was jailed for 12 months.
Prosecutor Patrick Gartland said the charity had been set up in 2012 to support families and others in the immediate aftermath of the sudden loss of a child. He said Jones applied for a job there as an Immediate Support Co-ordinator in February 2020.
She claimed to have a PhD doctorate degree in Sociology, which entitled her to call herself doctor. But, in fact, it transpired she had taken a Masters degree at Bangor University.
She also claimed she had had a twin sister who died aged five from cancer. Mr Gartland said she gave "different versions" of the supposed death of her sibling and her claim turned out to be untrue, the court heard..
He said Jones' job involved referring bereaved families to counsellors but she was not a counsellor herself. But she made up a counsellor called Sarah Jones with a fictitious company and address.
Invoices paid to Sarah Jones were paid under the name "S. Jones" but to an account which had Stephanie Jones' sort code and account number. Jones admitted fraud between August 28, 2020 and January 21, 2021.
Elen Owen, defending, said her client remembers things differently compared with what she is accused of saying. But she "created something of a persona" and there was a "clear element of exaggeration".
She said her client had suffered the breakdown of a relationship and had large debts. In 2018 and 2019 she had made complaints of a domestic nature and there had been a possible serious assault which she did not make a complaint about.
Ms Owen added: "It was not a case of a pre-planned enterprise to steal. It was Ms Jones' poor emotional state at the time that affected her thinking (and) had a significant impact on her flawed decision-making process. She was in a very deep and dark place."
She said Jones has clinical depression and has a history of self-harm. Her parents, especially her wheelchair using mother, rely on her. If Jones were imprisoned it is "almost inevitable" her mother would have to go into residential care.
Ms Owen also said all the money has been repaid to the charity "2 Wish Upon A Star".
But the judge Her Honour Nicola Saffman said the defendant claimed she could speak seven languages, and that she had a PhD in Sociology and her twin sister had died aged five which were lies.
She added: "You provided false invoices to the charity in a false name of Sarah Jones." In one case, the police had to go to the home of the dead girl's parents to check if they had been counselled.
The judge said Jones had brought the good name of the "2 Wish Upon A Star" into "disrepute". She said: "All of this must affect the reputation of that fantastic charity which was set up to help people in their direst and darkest hour. You are a chronic liar and it was an abuse of trust on extremely vulnerable individuals."
Jones's behaviour had been "vile, unthinkable and despicable" and only an immediate prison sentence was appropriate, said the judge.
After today's sentencing hearing, Detective Sergeant David Hall, of North Wales Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “This was a particularly distressing case to investigate as we had to approach bereaved parents with information which would potentially add to their anguish. The actions of Jones were callous in the extreme, preying on the charity who are there to help people in their hour of need.
“I am grateful to the charity for their patience whilst the investigation took its course, the CPS for their work and the witnesses who assisted us in bringing her to justice.”
Rhian Mannings, CEO and founder of bereavement charity 2Wish, said: "Everyone at 2Wish is deeply saddened and disappointed by this clear breach of trust from Ms Jones. We would like to thank North Wales police for all of their hard work and support throughout the investigation.
“We would also like to reassure anyone who works with 2Wish – whether this is through fundraising or any other type of support – that the services we provide have in no way been affected as a result of this breach. We diligently followed all protocols and procedures to the letter, and continue to do so to provide support to families who have experienced the sudden loss of a child or adult under 25.”
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