Mansfield woman forced grandmother into debt by stealing cash and pawning jewellery
A Mansfield woman who preyed upon her poorly grandmother by stealing cash and pawning jewellery isolated her victim from the rest of the family and forced her into debt, a court has heard.
Natalia Reedman moved into her unwell grandmother's house to “look after her finances” in June 2021 and stole or defrauded just under £18,000 from her over the next 11 months, said Nicola Patton, prosecuting.
Her victim initially loaned Reedman her bank card so she could borrow £1,000, but neither were returned and she began to gamble online.
Reedman told her she would put sentimental items like her wedding ring and an eternity ring onto a charm pracelet but instead pawned shop.
She told her grandmother holidays to London and Wales had been cancelled and would be refunded, but that never happened.
She was asked to buy Christmas presents but no one received any gifts as they were never bought, Ms Patton said.
When challenged Reedman became “aggressive and manipulative” in attempt to cover up her crimes, smashing a pyrex dish and threatening to take an overdose.
When her grandmother discovered she only had £50 left in her account instead of £7,000, the defendant ripped the bank statement from her hand and told her it was an error.
Reedman kept her victim isolated from relatives and told her they only wanted her money. When they did get in touch she told them her grandmother didn't want to see them and deleted contact numbers from her phone.
Her victim, who suffered from panic attacks and rarely left her home as a result, said the stress was “tremendous” and forced her to rebuild relationships with family and friends.
She was driven into debt and forced to stay with her grandson who described her as “absolute wreck in terms of her mental health.”
Reedman, aged 31, of Mappleton Drive, Mansfield, initially denied two counts of theft and one of fraud before pleading guilty at a previous hearing.
Lauren Fisher, mitigating, said the defendant, of previous good character, wasn’t responsible for delays in the case coming to court.
She said the mum-of-two, who is now pregnant and suffering from health issues, accepts full responsibility and recognises the financial and emotional impact on her victim.
Reedman’s gambling habit began after her working hours were cut during the pandemic, Ms Fisher said.
On Thursday, Recorder Anna Marie Trussler imposed an 18-month community order with 15 rehabilitation days and 80 hours of unpaid work. A Proceeds of Crime application will be heard in May.