A sheriff told a Dundee woman she should be ashamed of herself after she stole more than £10,000 from her own sister.
Helen Burns concocted a desperate series of lies to avoid responsibility, leaving her victim so devastated her hair fell out.
Burns had previously pleaded guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court but claimed her sister, who has learning disabilities, owed her money.
When she appeared for sentencing on Tuesday depute fiscal Susan Ruta told the court Burns, 40, of Kingsway East, was lying.
Ms Ruta told the court: “The complainer’s position is that there is no family debt.When she discovered the fraud she immediately phoned the accused.
“The accused has never offered to pay the money back.”
Burns also claimed to be her sister’s carer but this was yet another lie told to cover her tracks.
She eventually admitted fraud, after contacting the Department for Work and Pensions on the pretence it was to make a benefits claim on her sister’s behalf.
She gave her bank account details instead of her sister’s and obtained £10,353 in benefit payments between June 15 2011 and March 19 2014.
Sentencing Burns, Sheriff Alistair Brown said he doubted whether she even felt ashamed of her actions.
He said: “This is a serious matter.You took money from your sister who was and is vulnerable.
“That is the kind of thing that causes the public to feel contempt for you and I hope it causes you to feel shame.
“I’m not sure that it does.Having pled guilty you then make up a story about her owing you money.
“Perhaps it was because you were ashamed.You did the right thing admitting that was a made up story.
“If you had not I would have ordered a proof of mitigation hearing and if you were found to be lying then you would have gone to prison.
“Since you have now taken responsibility I will move away from that.”
He sentenced Burns to a community payback order with two years supervision and a requirement to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work in the community within a year.
Ordering her to also pay a £2,800 compensation order in sums of £120 a month, Sheriff Brown said he did not have the power to make her repay the full amount but told Burns: “If she sued you she would win.”