A CON-ARTIST stole a woman's identity as part of an elaborate scam to sell her luxury home and pocket the cash.
Angela Hargreaves used a false name to obtain the tenancy of Catherine Litherland's five-bedroom semi in Hale, near Altrincham, before assuming her identity.
Manchester Crown Court heard how she took birth and marriage certificates belonging to Ms Litherland from a cupboard inside the house in Ashley Road.
Hargreaves, 32, then twice tried to sell the '560,000 property - for '430,000 and '480,000 - while Ms Litherland was living abroad.
Joanna Rodikis, prosecuting, said that a sale was only scuppered when police arrested Hargreaves for shoplifting at Tesco in Altrincham and discovered suspicious documents.
Hargreaves, who admitted theft and deception charges, was given a 200-hour community punishment order after the judge accepted that she didn't organise the deception.
When police arrested Hargreaves for shoplifting, they found a driving licence application in Ms Litherland's name and a loan application in the name of Jane Wright.
Hargreaves used that name and donned a blonde wig and dark glasses to secure the tenancy of Ms Litherland's home from Rooftops letting agents in Hale in August 2003.
The company checked her references and she produced a driving licence and bank account details in the bogus name to pass a credit check before being given the keys.
Once inside, she took Ms Litherland's personal papers and passed them off as her own, approaching two prospective buyers for the house and two solicitors' firms to carry out conveyancing.
She also stole 19 pieces of antique furniture worth '14,200 from Ms Litherland's house, which her father Roland left her with the house when he died in 1997. The antiques were sold on for just '1,250.
Hargreaves was spared prison after a judge accepted she was not the orchestrator of the fraud. She said she had been asked by a man to help him look after a house he had to sell.
Judge Adrian Lyons told her: "Any fraud of this nature is serious, involving as it does an offence which is becoming more prevalent, which is theft of an identity."
While she would have faced jail in normal circumstances, he said the benefits for her and losses suffered by others were "nothing like as great as they might have been".
Mark Graffius, defending, said the offences came after Hargreaves fled a violent relationship and was left in debt. He said he had been instructed to convey his client's "extreme remorse" to Ms Litherland, who was in court.
Speaking after the hearing, the 60-year-old, who lives on a boat in New York, said: "I feel very disappointed. She should have gone to prison."
Should Hargreaves have received more than 200-hours community service? Have your say.
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Although the "con-artist" was not the orchestrator of the fraud - she still new that what she was doing was wrong. This woman should have received a prison sentence. She has caused Ms Litherland much stress and anxiety. When all said and done she has committed a crime and she should pay the penalty - serving time.
only 200 hours community punishment, i think i will have a crack at a scam like that if this is the benchmark as a punishment if , IF you should get caught!
Hey Rachel dont be so nieve. Have you never heard property is theft. I think it should be that Litherland who goes to jail for having too much property. I wonder who she exploited to have her house in Hale and live on a boat in New York.
Thats not the Point Mark
She knew exactly what she was doing and planned maticulously to do the crime.
who can trust her with anything now?? with this and burglars getting off what a sad sad justice system we have defence lawyers should be ashamed of themselves
angela should have got double the community service hours, that was a huge violation of catherines privacy. people must be made an example of, to deter future CON ARTISTS.
9 times out of 10 crime does pay and judges need to wake up and have a reality check, they dont live in the real world!!!
Why is it when someone has money they must have exploited someone else. I have a big house, new car, 2 holidays a year - BUT I GOT OFF MY BACKSIDE AND WORKED FOR IT. So Mark you will be round robbing my house because I have, and you think I shouldn't. Get a life and stop sponging.
Mark - if you'd read the article, the lady inherited the house when her father died, so any suggestion to the contrary is more than a bit stupid.
Fact of the matter, Hargreaves stole more than just property, she stole identity. A jail sentence would seem appropriate to me.
maybe she should have been given the 'in thing' - an ASBO. The poor excuses of slaps on the wrist really do make me laugh. The ASBO could have included - not wearing certain types of headgear or going with 500 yards of an estate agents or banning her from having a relationship in the next 5 years in case it becomes violent. Remember the death penalty - bring it back.
Good grief. Crime is obviously worth the risk. For those working - why the hell do we bother?
I went right through School with Angela and must say she was a poular and well respected pupil. I would ask everyone to think about this story and what it is trying to achieve. Angela has obviously made some mistakes with the people she mixes with and some other decisions she has made. It sounds to me like she has been exploited by a good few people. Thankfully she was caught before this situation could have got even worse.
I really hope that she can rebuild her life as i remember her as a popular and well liked girl. She was kind and never wronged anyone. There are very often much more to these kind of stories than meets the ye and i wish people wouldnt be so quick to jump on the daily mail "string em up" bandwagon.
the law is to soft she should have been in prison
I'm in London as you can see and I'm shocked by that verdict of community sevice.
I'm sorry but she should have gone to jail. It seems that the victim has no redress on this out come. Look's like all con-artist will be headin to Altrincham way!
She absolutly deserves to be sent down for her part in this scam. She knew what she was doing was wrong. 200 hours is derisory and an insult to taxpayers. The lady who almost lost her home has worked hard and has lost some valuable items without any compensation. I'm sure she was not alone and is covering for someone else.
yes go to prison
lock her up for fraud, yeah why not,but lets just fine the drunk drivers who put lives at risk....wonder how many of you self righteous soles commenting on here about "soft sentances".have drunk n drove??...hey, Mr BIGHOUSE?...your nose as clean as it could be?...no skeletons a rattlin?
Britain's got the stupidest and weiredest law I have ever heard ....a teacher goes to prison for shooting at yobs with air-gun trying to protect herself...and a con-artist gets a community sentence for stealing someones identity and fraud which would have had devestaing effects.
I think the world needs to learn a lot from the British lawmakers....how to NOT serve justice under all possible circumstances.
The Judge's decision is an insult to the Court and the people supposedly protected by Law. By not sentencing the guilty to jail, the Judge has merely slapped her hand and given a "green light" to others who might wish to defraud. Fraud requires intent and the accused's actions were not taken without premeditation. Community service is this case is a joke! Shame on the Judge.
How has this woman been taught a lesson? This was a terrible crime and was almost pulled off, she was getting rich the easy way and wouldn't we all just like that. Life is tough but if you are prepared to work you can have nice things that belong to you and you will have earnt them.
Good solid hard labour I say, after my home burgled twice I no longer have feelings for these type of people, the country is to soft on them.
I have not heard all the facts etc so really should not judge, but ut seems that Hargreave did not just carry out fraud but other counts of theft etc. I believe that she was intact of her mind so she new what she was doing was wrong, deceitful and breaking the law
THe sentence her to have just 200 hours is not really a sentence but a pass a fob off to the victim.
I believe that this will send the message out to all that it is easier to commit fraud than hard honest work as like the victim.
Darn right Hargreaves should have gone to prison, what a slug, to do that to another person!
Since when is it okay to rob another person's identity? To steal their belongings?
It is obviously getting easier by law to take the easy path through life.
So what can I get for a few days' worth of community service? I can do with some nice things!
It shows how leneyant the jujes are you can all most do any thing now days and get away with it, the sistem has gon soft
What is it with the judiciary system in this country. First they let a monster like Mark Hobson doing community service and they he goes on to kill four people and now look what we've got, some one who steals someone else's identity in order to sell her property which in my opinion is an offence worth going to jail for.
She should have got 10 years.
Identity stealing is unforgivable.