Gary and Diane Mansell were handed six-year jail sentences at Liverpool Crown Court in 2023 after being convicted of fraud and money laundering
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 defrauded his elderly parents for three and a half years while serving as their power of attorney, spending the money they took on luxury goods and foreign holidays,
The couple, who “dreamt of becoming millionaires”, were found guilty of fraud and money laundering at Liverpool Crown Court in November 2023 and sentenced to six years behind bars the same month. Judge David Swinnerton described the duo’s actions as a “despicable display of greed and vanity”.
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The husband and wife, who lived in the Woolton area of Liverpool and were aged 61 and 58 when they were jailed, are due to appear before the Court of Appeal tomorrow. They plan to challenge both their original conviction and the length of their prison term imposed by the sentencing judge, reports the Liverpool Echo.
To successfully overturn their convictions, the Mansells’ legal teams will need to demonstrate that the convictions were unsafe, meaning there was an incorrect decision on a point of law or new evidence has emerged that was not available at the time.
Liverpool Crown Court previously heard how Mansell’s parents, Fred and Enid, had moved out of their family home in October 2017 after the former suffered a serious fall. His wife also had dementia.
The couple had resided in the house for over 50 years, owned two cars, and had a healthy bank balance thanks to their state and work pensions.
Gary and Diane Mansell welcomed the elderly couple into their home and were granted power of attorney. Once in control, they sold the family home for a significantly lower price than its market value and used the proceeds to convert their garage into a living space.
They kept social workers at bay, exerted “controlled” over the elderly duo, fed them solely on ready meals and kept them confined. Meanwhile, Gary and his wife enjoyed holidays in Jamaica, Cape Verde and made visits to the Grand Hotel in York. Diane Mansell splashed out £9,000 on dental work, drove a gold BMW with a personalised number plate and had a large collection of expensive handbags.
They also made over 100 withdrawals from their parents’ bank account. The prosecution estimated that around £218,000 had been siphoned off in total. However, the prosecution eventually agreed on £117,000 as the extent of the fraud after “generously estimating” the costs of the garage conversion and living expenses.
Despite enjoying a lavish lifestyle funded by the stolen money, Diane loathed caring for the pair and claimed she was “used and abused by the b*******”. Enid passed away before her son faced criminal charges for his actions, whilst Fred told the court in 2023 that he “did not want to be here anymore”.
Diane Mansell’s solicitor informed the court that she was “the glue” for her side of the family, with Gary being her own adhesive. He added: “The glue will come apart [whilst in prison], and I hope she uses the time usefully and reengages with her family.” It was mentioned that Gary Mansell had health issues likely to be exacerbated in prison.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Swinnerton told them: “This is an example of how a family can be destroyed by vanity and greed. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
