Two More U.K. Cases of Elder Financial Abuse: Forgery and Will Fraud & Theft from an Incapable Person
Elderly Couple Exploited by Bus Driver
Percival John Harris, a 59-year-old bus driver from Summerheath, Mabe Burnthouse, United Kingdom was recently sentenced to five years and six months by a Truro Crown Court. Harris was found guilty of fraud, forgery, and perverting the course of justice after allegations that he befriended and elderly couple, Kathleen and Desmond Moyle, and defrauded them out of £351,481 by forging their wills.
The Moyle’s were particularly vulnerable as they had no children and lived remotely.[1] In 2015, the Moyle’s created wills through a solicitor, naming Harris as one of the executors and leaving a small portion of their estate to him. Following their deaths in 2017 and 2018, their family became suspicious of discrepancies in the wills. In late 2018, police received a report from the family who raised concerns about not being able to get in touch with Harris to deal with the estate. At that point, his actions began to surface.[2] Detectives were able to piece together that Harris had forged amended wills in 2016 which left the majority of the Moyle’s estate to himself. Harris even paid two local men to witness the new documents. At trial, a forensic handwriting expert supported these allegations.[3]
Former reporter jailed after stealing from dementia-stricken mother
The case of HMA v Hayley Matthews, concerns the actions of Hayley Matthews, a 44-year-old former TV reporter from Edinburgh. Between September 2019 and November 2022, she stole £120,000 from her mother’s (Janice Matthews) bank accounts and used the money to fund her lavish spending sprees. After trial, she was sentenced to two years and three months in prison by an Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
During the trial, the court heard evidence that Matthews held a power of attorney for her mother’s financial affairs and told her family members that her mother’s estate was only valued at £36,000. Her sister, however, questioned this valuation and applied to the court for her mother’s bank records. The records revealed that after Janice Matthews was admitted to hospital in 2019, ATM cash withdrawals from her account increased substantially. Police began an investigation and discovered Hayley Matthew’s spending which included 371 PayPal transactions totalling £42,763, ATM withdrawals amounting to £38,000, Amazon purchases worth £13,649.97, a Mulberry handbag costing £1,371, and £5,544.82 of purchases from the White Company.[4]
On sentencing, Sheriff Alison Stirling went into detail concerning Hayley’s conduct and reviewed what can be considered a Victim Impact Statement from her sister who the court described as suffering psychologically and financially both thinking about the treatment her mother endured and because some of the embezzled money would have formed her inheritance. Sheriff Stirling concluded that custody is the only appropriate disposal, having regard to the serious nature of the offences and commented that:
Your actions were deliberate and repeated over a period of more than three years. They were not the result of a moment of poor judgment. They were a series of calculated decisions that demonstrated a clear understanding of right and wrong. They had a serious impact on the lives of both your mother and your sister.[5]
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[1] Elliot Ball, “Man jailed after defrauding couple in will scam” (September 13, 2024), BBC, accessed online: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd737lv3159o.
[2] Devon & Cornwall Police, “Man jailed for defrauding elderly couple in Falmouth,” accessed online: https://news.devon-cornwall.police.uk/news-article/2f8ed55f-1f71-ef11-9d6d-6045bdd24049.
[3] Sabrina Penty, “Family calls in handwriting experts to catch out fraudster, 59, who faked wills to steal hundreds of thousands of pounds from couple and has now been jailed” (September 12, 2024), Daily Mail, accessed online: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13844897/handwriting-experts-catch-fraudster-faked-wills.html.
[4] Nick Forbes, “TV presenter stole £120,000 from mother with dementia to spend on handbags and lavish lifestyle” (July 25, 2024), Independent, accessed online: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/hayley-matthews-stv-jail-court-b2585784.html.
[5] Judiciary of Scotland, “Sentencing Statements – HMA v Hayley Matthews,” accessed online: https://judiciary.scot/home/sentences-judgments/sentences-and-opinions/2024/07/25/hma-v-hayley-matthews.
Written by: Kimberly A. Whaley
Posted on: May 21, 2025
Categories: Commentary
Elderly Couple Exploited by Bus Driver
Percival John Harris, a 59-year-old bus driver from Summerheath, Mabe Burnthouse, United Kingdom was recently sentenced to five years and six months by a Truro Crown Court. Harris was found guilty of fraud, forgery, and perverting the course of justice after allegations that he befriended and elderly couple, Kathleen and Desmond Moyle, and defrauded them out of £351,481 by forging their wills.
The Moyle’s were particularly vulnerable as they had no children and lived remotely.[1] In 2015, the Moyle’s created wills through a solicitor, naming Harris as one of the executors and leaving a small portion of their estate to him. Following their deaths in 2017 and 2018, their family became suspicious of discrepancies in the wills. In late 2018, police received a report from the family who raised concerns about not being able to get in touch with Harris to deal with the estate. At that point, his actions began to surface.[2] Detectives were able to piece together that Harris had forged amended wills in 2016 which left the majority of the Moyle’s estate to himself. Harris even paid two local men to witness the new documents. At trial, a forensic handwriting expert supported these allegations.[3]
Former reporter jailed after stealing from dementia-stricken mother
The case of HMA v Hayley Matthews, concerns the actions of Hayley Matthews, a 44-year-old former TV reporter from Edinburgh. Between September 2019 and November 2022, she stole £120,000 from her mother’s (Janice Matthews) bank accounts and used the money to fund her lavish spending sprees. After trial, she was sentenced to two years and three months in prison by an Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
During the trial, the court heard evidence that Matthews held a power of attorney for her mother’s financial affairs and told her family members that her mother’s estate was only valued at £36,000. Her sister, however, questioned this valuation and applied to the court for her mother’s bank records. The records revealed that after Janice Matthews was admitted to hospital in 2019, ATM cash withdrawals from her account increased substantially. Police began an investigation and discovered Hayley Matthew’s spending which included 371 PayPal transactions totalling £42,763, ATM withdrawals amounting to £38,000, Amazon purchases worth £13,649.97, a Mulberry handbag costing £1,371, and £5,544.82 of purchases from the White Company.[4]
On sentencing, Sheriff Alison Stirling went into detail concerning Hayley’s conduct and reviewed what can be considered a Victim Impact Statement from her sister who the court described as suffering psychologically and financially both thinking about the treatment her mother endured and because some of the embezzled money would have formed her inheritance. Sheriff Stirling concluded that custody is the only appropriate disposal, having regard to the serious nature of the offences and commented that:
Your actions were deliberate and repeated over a period of more than three years. They were not the result of a moment of poor judgment. They were a series of calculated decisions that demonstrated a clear understanding of right and wrong. They had a serious impact on the lives of both your mother and your sister.[5]
—
[1] Elliot Ball, “Man jailed after defrauding couple in will scam” (September 13, 2024), BBC, accessed online: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd737lv3159o.
[2] Devon & Cornwall Police, “Man jailed for defrauding elderly couple in Falmouth,” accessed online: https://news.devon-cornwall.police.uk/news-article/2f8ed55f-1f71-ef11-9d6d-6045bdd24049.
[3] Sabrina Penty, “Family calls in handwriting experts to catch out fraudster, 59, who faked wills to steal hundreds of thousands of pounds from couple and has now been jailed” (September 12, 2024), Daily Mail, accessed online: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13844897/handwriting-experts-catch-fraudster-faked-wills.html.
[4] Nick Forbes, “TV presenter stole £120,000 from mother with dementia to spend on handbags and lavish lifestyle” (July 25, 2024), Independent, accessed online: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/hayley-matthews-stv-jail-court-b2585784.html.
[5] Judiciary of Scotland, “Sentencing Statements – HMA v Hayley Matthews,” accessed online: https://judiciary.scot/home/sentences-judgments/sentences-and-opinions/2024/07/25/hma-v-hayley-matthews.
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