A Northumberland daughter who took out fraudulent mobile phone contracts in the names of her family members has dodged jail.
Laura Rowell was living with her mother, father and sister when she took out the contracts without their knowledge in March 2020 in order to sell the "high end" Samsung handsets for cash. The 28-year-old left her family in more than £28,000 of debt and made around £8,000 for herself, spending the money on nights out and gifts for herself.
Described as a "compulsive spender of money", Rowell even put a stop on Royal Mail delivering post to the family home in Ashington to try and conceal her fraudulent activity. But her family finally became aware of what she was doing when letters from mobile phone providers slipped through the net and were delivered.
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Rowell, of Alexandra Road, Ashington, appeared at Newcastle's Moot Hall on Thursday to be sentenced for fraud by false representation. She had previously pleaded guilty to the offence.
The court heard that between March and December 2020, Rowell entered into a number of mobile phone contracts in the names of her dad, mum and sister, and ran up debts totalling over £28,000. She had put a stop to Royal Mail services on the family home so that post would be stopped for everyone living there. However, some post "got through", which were demands from mobile phone companies to members of her family.
Ian West, prosecuting, said: "Her family knew nothing about these contracts and they took it up with the defendant who immediately admitted to them she was behind all of these contracts. After more letters arrived, they took the decision to report the defendant to police." Mr West said that Rowell admitted she took out 17 mobile phone contracts with various providers in a nine month period and would then sell the "high-end" Samsung phones she received to a shop in Cramlington for between £500 and £750.
Mr West said: "She admitted that for several months she attempted to make repayments on the contracts but would use the cash from the shop as spending money. She had nothing really to show for the money and was a compulsive spender of money." The court heard Rowell spent the money she received from the sale of the phones on "nights out, perfume and other things".
Mr West said that although legally Rowell's parents are not required to repay the debts she racked up through her fraudulent activity, the family has still taken it upon themselves to try and repay it in order to help her. Rowell obtained over 100 devices and received around £8,000 from their sale during her offending, the court heard.
In mitigation, the court heard Rowell, who works as a carer, had no previous convictions and that her family had forgiven her for the fraud after she told them she committed the offences after the break-up of a relationship left her without money and was too embarrassed to ask for help. Mr Hedley, defending, said Rowell has a "strong, loving family who support her" and they would be "devastated if she was sent to prison".
Sentencing Rowell, Recorder Mark Giuliani, said: "Following a difficult breakup you clearly had some sort of mental breakdown and sought solace in spending and buying goods which you didn't actually need. You did not have the sufficient funds to buy these items." Rowell was given a two year community order and must complete 200 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days.
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