Grandmum in Trouble After Stealing Over £500,000 From Work to Gift Con Boyfriend

A 65-year-old British grandmum, Sheena Warner, who fell in love with a con Egyptian man she met online is now in trouble after gifting him over £500,000 she stole from work to help him seal a property deal.

According to Mirror UK, she met the man, a local hotel owner in 2012, and began sending cash after he suggested “something romantic might happen.”

Gloucester Crown Court heard she was so “flattered” by the attention she sold all her possessions and even her home and car to send money – leaving her with “just the clothes she was wearing”.

But when that ran out she started stealing from work – over £500,000 which was supposed to be used to pay wages and taxes.

She spent the money on up to three holidays a year to see him and fund a property deal, the court was told.

Her lawyer, Alison Scott-Jones, told the court that she had fallen for the charms of a younger man who had “duped’ her.

She said: “The owner of the business had a document drawn up which she signed immediately. Her home, her car and all her private goods – they were all sold. She was effectively left in the clothes she stood up in. She has lost everything as a consequence. My client fell into a trap. She was flattered by the attention of a young man. He sweet talked her into thinking things would happen. She is very embarrassed. She got herself into what she thought was a long term relationship.”

The court heard Warner used her position of trust to siphon money from three companies and into her own bank between January 2009 and November 2013.

With control of the cheque book, she would pay money into her own account, leaving the companies owing thousands.

In 2013 alone, Warner took more than £100,000. She would make false entries into the account books, often under different names.

Warner was only caught when a £20,000 overdraft was questioned.

Alastair Haggerty, prosecuting, said: “When Mr Palmer ordered bank statements, it became apparent she had stolen £514,000 since 2009.”

Appearing at Gloucester Crown Court today, she pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to three years in prison.