A fraudster who swindled her partner out of £32,000 in an elaborate five-year scam has been spared jail.
Mary McDonald posed as her boyfriend, forged paperwork and took loans out in his name as she plunged him further and further into a financial black hole.
She took money from his bank account while keeping him in the dark about his spiralling debts.
Partner Neil Reid was unaware he was facing bankruptcy, owing thousands to the construction firm working on his dream home in the Perthshire countryside.
He only found out after the couple were evicted from their four-bedroom property.
McDonald, 41, of Bruach Lane, Pitlochry, was originally charged with scamming her partner out of more than £90,000.
Prosecutors accepted her plea to running a £32,000 fraud between May 1 2014 and August 3 2019.
Returning to Perth Sheriff Court for sentencing, she was told if she had not already repaid the cash she might have been jailed.
Jail alternative
Sheriff Alison McKay told McDonald: “While there is no doubt that given the period of time and sums involved render you liable to custody, I have to accept that there are alternatives available to me.
“In particular, the fact that you have repaid the sum involved is something that is in your favour.”
McDonald was ordered to carry out 225 hours unpaid work.
She will be tagged and must stay home between 9pm and 7am each day as part of a six-month restriction of liberty order.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “Ms McDonald has no previous convictions and there are no matters outstanding.
“Clearly, this has been a very stressful matter for her.
“She remains in gainful employment and is valued by her workplace.”
He said: “This all started because she and her partner had hoped to make a home for themselves.
“She took over, including the purchasing all the materials but she wasn’t able to cope and she didn’t want to tell her partner that was the case.”
Partner was kept in the dark
The court heard the couple had been in a relationship for 20 years but separated in 2019 after her scam came to light.
In 2014, Mr Reid, a builder, bought a plot of land at Stanley and took out a mortgage in his own name to finance a new-build home.
An online account was opened to pay for the housing project and McDonald set up internet banking in her partner’s name without his knowledge.
She took out several loans behind his back.
As time went on, credit cards were maxed out and a building supplies firm made an application to declare Mr Reid bankrupt.
Court papers were received at the house by McDonald but never passed on to Mr Reid.
In April 2019, McDonald phoned Mr Reid at work and gave him the bombshell news they had been evicted from their home.
Even at this point, McDonald did not reveal what had been going on.
When Mr Reid became suspicious he went to his bank to check his accounts and found details of the bankruptcy order made against him.
After speaking to administrators, who gave him a list of creditors, he phoned the police.
The court heard that in total, McDonald benefited from £32,662 in unauthorised transactions and withdrawals.
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