Woman jailed for defrauding elderly Congleton man

A woman who took hundreds of pounds off a vulnerable man in Congleton has been jailed.

Abigail Wright from Flag Lane in Crewe appeared at Crewe Magistrates’ Court on 3 February where she pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation.

The 37-year-old was sentenced to 27 weeks in prison and handed an indefinite restraining order preventing her from contacting the victim and his family.

She also has to pay the victim £800 which was the amount she took from him.

Wright had only just been released from prison for a similar offences against the victim when she began contacting the victim again.

A resident spotted Wright attending the 92-year-old’s address and contacted police on 6 November 2024 to report her concerns. PC James Rowley attended the victim’s house to do welfare check and it became apparent that Wright had been visiting the victim again.

As a precaution he advised the victim’s son so that he could keep an eye on him.

The following day the victim’s son discovered £800 had gone out of an account which his dad had access to. He suspected Wright was responsible due to previous offending against the family and informed PC Rowley.

The card was immediately cancelled and the transactions scrutinised.

Some transactions immediately stood out as unusual, including three withdrawals from an ATM at the Shell petrol station in Congleton, one on 5 November of £250 and two of £250 and £50 on 6 November.

CCTV showed Wright was the person withdrawing the money.

As the investigation continued, PC Rowley visited the victim to complete a welfare check and discuss the case. He discovered the victim in an alleyway handing over a quantity of cash.

PC James Rowley said:

“While he was doing this willingly, he lacked a full understanding of the situation and felt sorry for her so would give in to her demands for cash.

“I found £150 on Wright but she said she’d got it from another friend even though I’d seen the transaction take place in the alleyway. She had also used his card without his permission to withdraw a significant amount of money on three occasions.”

Wright was arrested for the card offences and the £150 was seized. Despite being on conditional bail which meant she shouldn’t contact the victim, just two days later officers had information that she had arranged to meet the victim at Crewe bus station to get more cash.

Officers located him at Congleton bus station and took him to Crewe to look for her because she was wanted for breaching her bail conditions in contacting him.

She was located in Asda and immediately arrested.

PC James Rowley said:

“The moment she got out of prison her offending was relentless and the amount she was taking from him was significant - clearly taking advantage of his vulnerability.

“I would like to thank the public for being good neighbours by keeping an eye on their elderly neighbours and reporting their concerns to us.

“I’d also like to thank colleagues involved in this case. A lot of time and work went into obtaining justice for the victim, which demonstrates our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.

“Congleton Beat Team takes pride in this result and will continue to be there for those who need us the most.”