Former BBC Presenter Hayley Matthews Sentenced for Stealing £120,000 from Mother’s Accounts
Hayley Matthews, a former BBC presenter, has been embroiled in a shocking scandal after admitting to embezzling £120,000 from her mother’s bank accounts. The funds were used to support a lavish lifestyle between September 2019 and November 2022. The truth came to light after family members raised questions about the size of Ms. Matthews’s estate following her death at an Edinburgh care facility in 2021.
The 44-year-old from Edinburgh pleaded guilty on June 27 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to one charge of embezzlement. On Thursday, July 25, she was sentenced to two years and three months behind bars at the same court.
Lynne Barrie, procurator fiscal for Lothian and Borders, was forthright in her condemnation, saying: “Hayley Matthews was placed in a position of family trust to oversee her mother’s financial affairs. But she abused that responsibility by stealing thousands of pounds and used that money to brazenly fund an extravagant lifestyle,” reports the Express.
Barrie also emphasized that such exploitation of vulnerable individuals would not go unpunished, stating: “This case demonstrates that those who seek to exploit vulnerable victims for their own personal gain will be held to account for their crimes.”
The trial revealed that Matthews, who had power of attorney over her mother’s finances, had misled her family about the value of her mother’s estate, claiming it was only £36,000. However, suspicions arose, leading her sister to request bank statements, which uncovered a pattern of excessive ATM withdrawals coinciding with Janice Matthews’s hospitalization.
Upon further examination by Matthews’s sister, it was discovered that nearly £100,000 was unaccounted for, prompting the family to notify the police. Hayley was arrested on January 5 last year, and during questioning, she justified some of her spending as gifts for hospital staff and purchases for her partner.
In court, Matthews’s reckless spending spree was detailed, revealing 371 PayPal transactions totaling £42,763, cash machine withdrawals of £38,000, and Amazon purchases amounting to £13,649.97. She also indulged in luxury buys like a £1,371 Mulberry handbag and £5,544.82 spent at The White Company. Her bank statements exposed further extravagances at high-end stores such as Harvey Nichols, Kurt Geiger, and Molton Brown, along with treats from Greggs, Deliveroo, Five Guys, and Hotel Chocolat.
Confronted by her father Alistair in January 2022, Matthews confessed to misusing the funds for personal benefit. In a series of text messages, she admitted: “You’re right, I’ve been shocked at handling mum’s money and paperwork. I’ve spent what I shouldn’t and used money I shouldn’t. I wasn’t in a very good place when looking after her, but I tried my best.”