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Mother and grandfather must repay £50,000 stolen from grandchildren’s trust or face jail

The court found that Katherine Hill used the stolen inheritance to fund her partner’s mortgage, prompting orders to repay the amounts within three months.

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Overview

  • Katherine Hill, 54, and her father Gerald Hill, 94, drained a £50,000 trust set up by Margaret Hill for her granddaughters Gemma and Jessica Thomas within a year of its 2013 creation.
  • The fraud was uncovered in 2018 when one of the sisters requested an early withdrawal to help buy a house and discovered the fund was empty.
  • In 2024 both were convicted of fraud by abuse of position, with Katherine sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and Gerald handed a 12-month suspended sentence.
  • At a June 2025 Proceeds of Crime hearing at Swansea Crown Court, the judge ordered Katherine to repay £50,000 in three months or face six more months behind bars and Gerald to pay £6,000 or serve three months.
  • Gemma and Jessica Thomas say they have endured significant emotional distress and financial hardship after their mother and grandfather betrayed their trust.