CONTROLLING LIVERPOOL COUPLE WHO SWINDLED £117K FROM ELDERLY PARENTS LAUNCH APPEAL
A 'controlling' husband and wife who swindled their vulnerable family out of over £100,000 - leaving them with just 28p - have launched a bid to have their sentences overturned.Gary Mansell and his wife Diane, who lived in the Woolton area of Liverpool and were aged 61 and 58 when jailed, are due to appear before the Court of Appeal tomorrow.
They plan to challenge the original conviction and the six-year prison term.
The victims, in this case Gary's elderly parents Fred and Enid, had moved out after Fred suffered a fall.
The couple exploited their power of attorney, sold the family home at a lower price, and used the proceeds for luxury goods and holidays.
Gary and Diane kept social workers at bay, fed the elderly on ready meals, and confined them, enjoying holidays and luxury items themselves.
They withdrew over £100,000 from their parents' accounts, with the prosecution estimating about £218,000 stolen, though the court settled on £117,000 to account for various expenses.
The couple's actions, described by Judge Swinnerton as a "despicable display of greed and vanity," resulted in their convictions for fraud and money laundering at Liverpool Crown Court in November 2023, with six-year sentences.
Diane was noted to have driven a gold BMW and owned expensive handbags, while Gary's health issues may worsen in prison.
The couple plans to appeal, arguing the convictions were unsafe due to legal errors or new evidence.
