Widow admits £53,000 insurance firm fraud after husband's death: Normanton pensioner avoids immediate jail

A WIDOW with a gambling problem defrauded more than £53,000 from life insurance company Prudential after the death of her husband, a court heard.
Leeds Crown CourtLeeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

Pensioner Susan Murphy failed to notify Prudential when her husband Albert Betts died in May 2003 and continued to receive £332 a month from his annuity policy, which should have ended on his death.

Murphy, 65, a retired legal secretary of Martin Street, Normanton, admitted defrauding a total of £53,894 from Prudential over a period of 13 years from May 2003 to October 2016.

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The court heard Prudential conducted a review in September 2016 and discovered Mr Betts had died in May 2003.

Prosecutor, Amy Earnshaw, said that when Prudential asked Murphy for a copy of the death certificate she said that she was upset with the accusation, and that he had not died and demanded the payments be reinstated.

A probation officer told the court: “She tells me she is struggling with debt and has sought debt counselling.

“She has a long standing gambling habit of over 20 years. She tells me she has had periods of time where she doesn’t gamble.

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“She described the pull of the bright lights and gaming machines, mainly one-armed bandits.

“She expressed remorse for her actions and described them as being stupid and burying head in the sand when it comes to financial management.

Mitigating, Robin Frieze, said: “The fact that she is in court at all is frightening and shameful to her.”

Recorder Tom Little handed Murphy a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Recorder Little told her: “I am just persuaded that is appropriate in this case to suspend the sentence of imprisonment.”

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