A UK woman steals thousands from her sister and now says she “rues the day” that she ever began playing at online bingo sites.
Michelle Sheppard, 39, took a total of £2,250 of her sister's money between March 6th and March 11th of this year.
She initially obtained her sister's banking details by asking for the information so she could make an eBay purchase last summer. At the end of 2012, her sister began seeing small PayPal transactions being debited from her account.
Tracey Ross, prosecuting, said, “She rang Michelle Sheppard and asked her if she knew anything about it.
“She then told her sister she had been using her bank details to pay for online bingo but that she would stop doing so.
“However, when she checked her statement the following month there were new transactions. She again apologised and said she would stop.”
Sheppard's sister “wanted to give her sister the benefit of the doubt” and did not opt to close her account straight away.
Ross said, “In her statement the sister said she was very upset about what happened and felt let down by her sister.
“The amount of money she is out of pocket by has had a significant financial and psychological effect on her.”
Sheppard claims that her sister was allowing her to use her account up until March 5, 2013 when she told her she was no long authorized to use it.
Judith Bew, mitigating, said, “She never intended from the outset to spend that amount of money but it was far too easy to log on and get carried away.
“She rues the day, frankly, she ever logged on and participated in such an activity.”
Bew added, “She is incredibly sorry and ashamed to be before the courts.”
Sheppard is currently unemployed and has been ordered to pay restitution in addition to a six-month community order.
Michelle Sheppard, 39, took a total of £2,250 of her sister's money between March 6th and March 11th of this year.
She initially obtained her sister's banking details by asking for the information so she could make an eBay purchase last summer. At the end of 2012, her sister began seeing small PayPal transactions being debited from her account.
Tracey Ross, prosecuting, said, “She rang Michelle Sheppard and asked her if she knew anything about it.
“She then told her sister she had been using her bank details to pay for online bingo but that she would stop doing so.
“However, when she checked her statement the following month there were new transactions. She again apologised and said she would stop.”
Sheppard's sister “wanted to give her sister the benefit of the doubt” and did not opt to close her account straight away.
Ross said, “In her statement the sister said she was very upset about what happened and felt let down by her sister.
“The amount of money she is out of pocket by has had a significant financial and psychological effect on her.”
Sheppard claims that her sister was allowing her to use her account up until March 5, 2013 when she told her she was no long authorized to use it.
Judith Bew, mitigating, said, “She never intended from the outset to spend that amount of money but it was far too easy to log on and get carried away.
“She rues the day, frankly, she ever logged on and participated in such an activity.”
Bew added, “She is incredibly sorry and ashamed to be before the courts.”
Sheppard is currently unemployed and has been ordered to pay restitution in addition to a six-month community order.
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