FIVE people who allowed their bank accounts to be used for money laundering - after an elderly couple had their £36,000 life savings taken - have walked free from court.

Sisters Sheree and Sophie Morgan and their mother Justine Davies were told that because they had no direct knowledge of the ‘vile’ theft which had seen Cardiff pensioners Cyril and Joyce Rose bereft, they did not deserve prison sentences.

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But the trio, along with Sheree’s former partner Daniel Webster and university student Mohammad Aadil, who also allowed their bank accounts to be used for money transfers, were told any court order breaches or further offending would land them behind bars.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said the Roses were phoned by an ‘extremely well-spoken’ man, claiming to be from Scotland Yard, who managed to persuade them that the security of their bank account had been compromised.

He gave them details of a financial transaction which had been carried out on their account and persuaded them to visit their local branch, withdrawing sums to transfer to other accounts.

If challenged, the conman told them to inform bank staff that they were using the money to pay for home improvements. This explanation, when given, has resulted in the bank refusing to offer the couple compensation.

Mr Parker said that Sheree Morgan was the first to be approached, by an Asian man she had ‘known for years’, who told her he needed to transfer money through her bank account ‘to avoid tax’.

She would then enlist her then-partner Webster and sister Sophie to do likewise. Davies owed money to the man, who was also a loan shark, and agreed to take part so her debt would be wiped out. Aadil knew the same individual as a fellow Leeds University student.

The court heard £12,700 went through Sheree Morgan’s account, which was either immediately withdrawn as cash or travellers’ cheques.

Her sister saw £4,800 dealt with in a similar fashion, while £10,250 was laundered by Webster, £7,800 by Davies and £6,800 by Aadil.

In mitigation, all five insisted they had no knowledge of the original theft and were ‘disgusted’ and ‘ashamed’ when they discovered what had happened to the victims.

Sheree Morgan, 25, and Webster, 23, both of Pilgrim Street, Davies, 44, of Railway Street, Aadil, 21, from Leeds, and Sophie Morgan, 21, whose address cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, each admitted money-laundering.

Sheree Morgan was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with 200 hours community service, and Webster was given a four-month jail term, also suspended for two years, and 150 hours community service. Sophie Morgan, Davies and Aadil, were each given 12-month community orders with community service.