A woman was jailed for 6 years for scamming people out of a lot of money over several years, pretending she needed it for various things, including lies about her daughter's death. She appealed, but the court said the sentence was fair given the harm she caused and her lack of remorse.
Key Facts
- •Susan Goose (64) pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and asked for two more to be taken into consideration.
- •The frauds involved deceiving victims into giving large sums of money for false reasons, exploiting their sympathy.
- •The total defrauded amount was approximately £426,769 (Judge's estimate) or £370,000 (Appellant's estimate).
- •The frauds spanned several years (2017-2024).
- •The appellant's actions caused significant financial and emotional harm to victims, including the breakdown of a marriage and loss of a family home.
- •The appellant used personal tragedies (death of daughter, husband's alcoholism, son's drug addiction) to manipulate victims.
- •The appellant showed little remorse, shaking her head during victim impact statements.
- •The judge considered the case to be culpability A, category 1 harm.
Legal Principles
Sentencing guidelines for fraud offences (culpability and harm categories)
Sentencing Guidelines
Consideration of mitigating factors in sentencing, including remorse and personal circumstances.
Case law and sentencing principles
Outcomes
Appeal against sentence dismissed.
The starting point of 8 years' imprisonment was justified due to the severity and duration of the offences, the devastating impact on victims, and the numerous offences involved. Mitigating factors, including the appellant's personal circumstances, were outweighed by the aggravating factors, particularly the appellant's lack of remorse and exploitation of personal tragedies in committing the crimes.