London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Grandma stole £20,000 from vulnerable friend to fund shopping addiction

Grandma stole £20,000 from vulnerable friend to fund shopping addiction

A ‘devious’ grandma stole more than £20,000 from her vulnerable friend to fund her shopping addiction.

Ruth Bean, 64, had been friends with her 73-year-old victim for 13 years. They volunteered at the Salvation Army together and when the friend’s mental health started to deteriorate, the pair decided that Bean would handle her finances.

But the unnamed victim was ‘betrayed’ by her long-time friend as Bean used her trusted position to steal thousands of pounds over four years.

Between August 2011 and August 2015, Bean bought new furniture for her house, gave her husband premium fishing gear and even went on a holiday.

She gave her friend a cash allowance of between £40 and £100 a week whilst she continued to steal more than Hull Crown Court could accurately work out.

The thief was exposed in June 2017 when the victim’s housing manager noticed that her bank statements showed money spent in shops the woman had not gone to.

It was only when police began investigating in 2017 that Bean stopped handling her victim’s money.

Ruth Bean has been jailed for 16 months after stealing from her friend


She said that the theft started small, by Bean pocketing £10 for herself every time she did a shop for her friend but that this number gradually increased.

Exactly how much was stolen is unclear because of all the different cash withdrawals and card spending.

But authorities were able to work out that the victim, who had received £111,803 in benefits and pension, was only given £24,760 of this money to spend.

In a personal statement read to the court, prosecutor Cathrine Kioko-Gilligan said: ‘The complainant feels extremely betrayed by the defendant’s actions.

‘The proceedings have caused her increased stress and that stress has also affected her physical health and have also affected her religious beliefs as her and the defendant both attended the christian Salvation Army.

‘The complainant now has the ability now she is in control of her own finances to support her family in the way that she would want.

‘She has also been able to make purchases for herself – something that she was never able to do before and has in fact had the opportunity to go on holiday.’

Bean’s defence argued that the woman had no previous criminal record, had admitted to stealing £20,000 and was remorseful for her actions.

They also asked that Recorder Felicity Davies take into account Bean’s debts and ‘compulsive spending addiction’ which ‘spiralled out of control’.

Bean asked that she be spared jail time because her disabilities would cause her to struggle behind bars and she would have to leave her 82-year-old husband with dementia to fend for himself.

But Ms Davies dismissed those arguments and sentenced Bean, from Hull, East Yorkshire, to 16 months in prison for fraud.

The victim said that being stolen from made her question her faith as she met her friend at the Christian organisation The Salvation Army

Hull Crown Court found Bean guilty of fraud and gave her jail time


The judge said: ‘This was an appalling and grossly dishonest breach of trust committed over a prolonged period of at least four years.

‘You were devious and clearly planned on many different occasions ways to maintain your stealing without arousing suspicion of the complainant, her family and friends.

‘You stole repeatedly from her and your purpose was to take [the victim’s] money to enable you to buy luxuries for yourself and maintain a lifestyle well beyond your means.

‘To do so you deliberately impoverished [the victim], allowing her as little as £40 a week to live on out of her own money that should have been given to her.

‘The nature of the things you spent it on included a holiday, premium fishing gear for your husband and things to furnish your home with.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×