Niece jailed for swindling aunt out of £80,000

A NIECE branded “wicked” for fleecing her elderly aunt out of more than £80,000 has been jailed.

- By ROB KENNEDY Court reporter [e-mail]

Amanda Moderate betrayed the trust of the victim, who was in her 90s, by plundering her savings and spending them on herself.

Moderate’s sister said the offences were “devastating” to the family and said the “betrayal of trust” left the victim visibly anxious after she became aware of what her niece had done and this lasted until she died, which she said was “heartbreaking”.

It left her questioning whether her husband could afford to stay in his care home and, when she later needed to be in a care home herself, whether she could afford that.

The sister added: “We never imagined one of us could be so deceitful and wicked.”

As reported previously, Moderate, 49, of Century House, North Shields, defrauded her aunt out of a total of £82,046.

She pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and has now been locked up for 28 months.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim, who has since died after finding out about her niece’s betrayal, had mobility issues and her husband had dementia and was in a care home.