Court: Clayhall and Hainault sisters who posed as murdered heiress could face jail in New Year after fraud conviction
Carole Waugh - Credit: Archant
Two Redbridge sisters who posed as murdered heiress Carole Waugh to plunder her fortune on lavish spending sprees could face jail in the New Year.
Fraudsters Debra Burke, of Crossbow Road, Hainault, 49, and Elaine Perkins, 52, of Claybury Broadway, Clayhall, were on Monday convicted of fraud after Rakesh Bhayani, of Wembley, hired them to take out loans and cash cheques on Ms Waugh’s account.
Susan O’Shea, 62, of Sunset Avenue, Woodford Green, was also accused of posing as Ms Waugh, but cleared.
Armed with the millionairess’ bank cards and identity documents, the pair dressed up as Ms Waugh for shopping trips and visits to her banks.
Perkins even donned coloured contact lenses when conning solicitors into approving a £200,000 loan on Ms Waugh’s Marylebone flat.
Bhayani, 41, had already brutally murdered Ms Waugh, 49, in a calculated plan to raid her bank accounts.
Her body was bundled into a car boot and stashed in a lock-up for more than three months.
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Burke and Perkins, who will be sentenced on January 17, claimed they were duped into posing as Ms Waugh by Bhayani and his accomplice Nicholas Kuttner, 48.
“They are both expert conmen, very good at lying, and gambling addicts,” said prosecutor Patrick Gibbs QC of the two men.
The court heard the women did not know Ms Waugh had been murdered, but must have known their actions were wrong.
On two occasions Burke, aided by her sister, went shopping as Ms Waugh to Selfridges, where she bought perfume and Apple electronics at Westfield Shopping Centre.
The women were freed on bail. Perkins denied six counts of fraud by false representation, and two of aiding and abetting an offender in fraud by false representation. Burke and O’Shea each denied three counts of fraud by false representation.
