Stockport sisters jailed for 'abusive' £1.3m fraud

Stephanie and Joanne Palmer admitted fraud

Two sisters who threatened to "finish" a family-run business during a £1.3m fraud have been jailed.

Joanne and Stephanie Palmer, 40 and 38, left a company secretary "frightened for the safety of her family", Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The pair from Stockport bombarded two companies with "threatening" and "abusive" phone calls.

Joanne Palmer was jailed for four years and Stephanie Palmer for 45 months after admitting fraud.

The Palmers first made cold calls to haulier SI & S Hastings, based near Penrith, Cumbria, making repeated offers to provide advertising which never materialised, the court heard.

The fraudsters, of The Precinct, Romiley, falsely claimed there had been oral consent and therefore a "verbal contract".

Prosecutor Tim Evans said the sisters then "smelled panic" and went "into overdrive", giving the secretary "no escape".

'Scared and embarrassed'

"The calls threatened that bailiffs would be at her home within the hour if she did not make payments," the prosecutor said, adding: "They were abusive. They threatened to finish her business.

"There were some threats against family members.

"She was scared and convinced that the threats would be carried out, so began to make payments."

Joanne Palmer (left) and her sister Stephanie were described as 'callous'

The woman, he added, was "embarrassed" when transferring the money and "frightened for the safety of her family".

The company paid £1.22m which was then funnelled through different bank accounts, including those held in the sisters' names.

The court heard phone recordings were made by the victim's daughter and handed to police, while bank staff had previously raised concerns about "enormous" withdrawals.

About £70,000 was also handed to the sisters by the Bridlington Shellfish Company on England's east coast.

Defence barrister Jane Dagnall, for mother and grandmother Joanne Palmer, said her offending was "part of a wider-arching crime", adding: "There are clearly many others involved, more sophisticated."

Stephanie Palmer was described as being "ashamed and disgusted" of her part in the fraud.

'Bleed her dry'

Two other women from Stockport were convicted for money-laundering as part of the scheme.

Kelly Shaw, 41, received tens of thousands of pounds while, Stephanie Charnock, 43, was involved in the transfer of criminal property in four-figure sums.

Shaw, of Winterburn Green, had a 12-month jail term suspended for two years and must complete rehabilitation work and a four-month night time curfew. ‪

Charnock, of Maplecroft, received a community order which includes 120 hours unpaid work.

Judge Nicholas Barker told the Palmer siblings: "Not once did you have any care or sympathy for your victim.

"Your intention was to simply bleed her dry, and you did this in a callous and determined way."