Wick woman’s fraud victim won’t see compensation

An elderly man cheated out of thousands of pounds by a businesswoman he trusted will never receive compensation ordered by a court.

It was revealed at Wick Sheriff Court that pensioner Albert Millington had died without leaving a will.

The compensation is now likely to go to his family once his estate is settled.

Fiona Taylor is currently paying the compensation at a monthly rate, which is being lodged with her solicitor, Sylvia MacLennan.

The 66-year-old accused originally denied defrauding Mr Millington of £40,000 but changed her plea and later admitted a revised figure of £14,000.

The case that first came before the court three years ago has been dogged by delays.

Initially, there was a problem getting a reluctant Taylor to appear in the dock.

There was also a question of the accused’s fitness to plead to the indictment, but she was subsequently deemed able and entered a plea of not guilty.

Then there was a change in her legal representation and Miss MacLennan was “parachuted in” to act for her.

Negotiations between the Crown and the defence brokered a plea of guilty to fraud involving a reduced sum of £14,000 – between December 2015 and July 2016.

Taylor became friendly with Mr Millington when she was operating a taxi service in Wick but betrayed his trust.

She persuaded him to invest in a café business and to purchase a car which was to be used to drive him about. The accused was said to have gambled away some of the cash.

The court heard in April that Mr Millington was in a residential home in Wick and efforts were being made to appoint a guardian to look after his affairs.

Today, however, Sheriff Gordon Lamont was told that Mr Millington had died “intestate” and efforts were being made to appoint an executor.

Fiscal Depute David Barclay said that in light of Mr Millington’s passing, it was essential that there was someone to receive the compensation currently being paid at the rate of £500 per month.

These, along with an initial downpayment of £2000 made by Taylor, of Glamis Road, Wick, currently stand at £7000.

Mr Barclay commented: “It is an unusual set of circumstances,” adding that he was awaiting further word from Mr Millington’s family.

The case was continued until October 7.