Woman denies faking her own death to get man's bank details

A WOMAN has denied committing fraud by claiming she was dead in an effort to get a man's banking details.

Juliet Knight appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court yesterday to face five charges of fraud by false representation on two men.

One charge accuses her of committing fraud by making a false representation "namely that you had died and that the executors of your will needed to obtain Ricky Yelland's new banking details".

The court heard she allegedly defrauded one of two men by claiming she was "due to inherit substantial amounts of money" and that she had "contracted cancer" but was "pregnant" with her victim's children.

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Prosecutor Eoin McCarthy, told magistrates that 30-year-old Knight, had a relationship with one of the men but after it collapsed she allegedly retained the man's bank details and debit card.

It is alleged she made a number of "unauthorised transactions" without his consent.

Mr McCarthy said the amounts were "relatively small" but in total they came to "about £2,000".

All five cases of false representation allegedly took place in the Plymouth area dating between October 24, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

In the first charge of fraud by false representation Knight was accused of claiming she was entitled to use the bank details of Mr Yelland to make payment for car repairs intending to make a gain, namely a new car exhaust for Wayne Teare.

The second charge accused her of making false representation by using Mr Yelland's banking details to pay for car servicing and repairs for Mr Teare.

The third charge accused her of using Mr Yelland's bank details to make payment for a holiday booking.

The fourth charge accused her of committing fraud by making a false representation: "namely that you had died and that the executors of your will needed to obtain Ricky Yelland's new banking details".

The fifth and final charge of fraud by false representation accused Knight of claiming she was due to "inherit substantial amounts of money and were a person of means able to pay for holidays and make good damage you had done to Wayne Teare's car."

The charge went on to reveal that Knight had allegedly claimed she "had contracted cancer but was nevertheless pregnant with Wayne Teare's children, intending to cause loss to Wayne Teare or expose that person to risk of loss".

Mr McCarthy said the cases showed "no real sophistication" and the case could be heard by magistrates.

Knight, of St Michaels Close, Lawhitton near Launceston, denied all five charges and was granted conditional bail.

The case was adjourned for a case management hearing on February 20.