Former Mansfield landlady admits defrauding catalogues by using a false identity

Doreen Pearson 56 appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court in Wednesday where she admitted fraud by dishonestly making a false representation by creating an account in a false name and using an account belonging to Lyn Webster intending to gain items of clothing for herself.

The court heard Pearson of Townroe Drive had given details of her landlord to catalogues to get clothing and the debt accrued to her.

The fraud was discovered when Ms Webster had been contacted by debt recovery companies seeking repayment.

Ms Webster told police the fraud had afected her life considerably.

She had recently set up a business with her husband and wanted to re mortgage their home.

But as result of the fraud they had a poor credit rating and couldn’t re mortgage .

She was also now unable to be guarantor for a loan for her daughter.

Webster admitted spending £300 on one account and £100 and £150 on others.

She said she had attempted to consolidate the debts and pay them from her own account but had lost her job six months ago and passed the debts onto her landlady.

Pearson’s defence solicitor said she her own financial difficulties had led her to commit the offence.

Pearson had been a landlady at several pubs in the Mansfield area she had run up a lot of debt.

This had led to the break up of her marriage.

She had suffered a breakdown and it was during this time over 18 months when she said the fraud had been carried out.

The offences she admitted to had happened over an 18-month period.

Her defence solicitor said; “She was always going to get found out - she used her own bank details to pay the debts off, which were easily traced by the police.”

She had realised it was wrong and was paying back the debts at £190 a month.

The court heard Pearson had recently reconciled with her husband.

She was sentenced to a community order for 12 months with 80 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £60.