East Sussex estate agent jailed over £160k widow fraud

Elizabeth Smith was described by the judge as "utterly despicable"

An estate agent who defrauded an 80-year-old widow out of her life savings has been jailed.

Elizabeth Smith, from East Sussex, pretended to have terminal cancer to get sympathy when police caught up with her, Hove Crown Court was told.

Smith preyed on Joan Cannon, pocketing £160,000 which she spent on a luxury car and a holiday in Dubai as well as paying off debts.

She was jailed for just over five years after admitting fraud.

Sentencing Smith, Judge Martin Huseyin said her actions had been "utterly despicable".

He said: "The claim of having a mortal disease turns out to be untrue and an attempt to get sympathy... a willingness not to tell the truth in order to avoid consequences."

'Heartless fraud'

Smith, 53, was working as an estate agent in Rye, when Ms Cannon from St Leonards approached her wanting to buy a house and transferred £160,000 for the completion of the sale, Sussex Police said.

The court heard that instead of putting the money towards the property, Smith spent £13,950 on a Mercedes and withdrew cash while on holiday in Dubai.

Much of the money defrauded from Ms Cannon has not been recovered, the court was told.

Ms Cannon had been in court when Smith admitted the offence in August, but died soon afterwards.

In a statement read to the court, Ms Cannon said: "I had no reason to doubt what Smith was asking me to do.

"However when I found out that I had actually been defrauded by Smith, my entire world came crashing down."

Smith, formerly from Winchelsea Beach, but now of Wilton Road, Bexhill, was jailed for five years and 14 days.

Det Sgt Mitchell Humby, from Sussex Police, said: "This was a heartless fraud on an elderly and vulnerable person.

"It only came to light when the victim became suspicious of the transactions passing through her account and the person from whom she was buying the property became concerned as to why she wasn't receiving the money in payment."

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