A WOMAN has been jailed for 18 months after almost £900 of clothing and jewellery was ordered from a false account set up in the name of a defrauded pensioner.

Georgina Thornly was party to the fraud after her partner stole the 86-year-old victim’s bag when she was targeted while out shopping in Brighouse.

Thornly asked the old lady for directions while her partner took the bag containing £330 in cash, a bank card and her phone from a car, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

The card was used to withdraw £100 from her account and an attempt was made to pay a £40 phone bill, prosecutor Paul Canfield said.

At 3am on January 7 last year, a false account was set up with Studio Retail in the pensioner’s name and £899 worth of clothes and jewellery ordered.

The account was linked to the victim’s stolen phone and the address Thornly shared with her partner, Mr Canfield said.

Thornly then went to the victim’s home posing as a Hermes courier to collect the parcels sent to her address by Studio Retail.

But she was foiled by the woman’s daughter and her partner who were at the address and called the police.

Thornly told officers that she was paid £50 to pose as the courier to collect the parcels.

The pensioner’s daughter said in a victim personal statement that her mother, now 87, was always active and sociable but since the fraud she kept her doors locked, answered the phone with trepidation and was afraid to put the bin out after dark.

Thornly, 44, whose address was given as HMP New Hall, where was remanded, had recently served a prison sentence for burgling an 83-year-old woman, the court was told. The pensioner’s bag containing £210 and a bank card was taken from her home.

Thornly had 30 previous convictions for 66 offences, including theft and fraud, Mr Canfield said.

He told the court she was known to the police as a prolific offender addicted to Class A drugs.

Thornly’s barrister, Naakesha Michl, said she did not steal the victim’s bag and wasn’t part of the wider planning. Others were involved in the fraud.

She planned to move to the Halifax area on her release and had a job lined up.

Thornly had engaged with drug treatment programmes to free herself from her addiction, Miss Michl said.

Judge Neil Davey QC labelled Thornly: “A thoroughly dishonest person.”

He said the fraud was sophisticated and well planned and she must have known the victim was an elderly lady.