A DAUGHTER who took money from her dead mother’s bank account has been labelled an ‘embarrassment’ after failing to buy a headstone to make amends.

Isabella McPhee, 77, died after a fall at her Lytham Road home, in Higher Croft, Blackburn, 12 months ago this week.

But just two days after her devastated family were notified, her daughter, Isabelle Gallagher, 49, used her mum’s bank cards to withdraw cash.

Police investigated, but agreed on a ‘restorative justice intervention’ because of the sensitivity of the case.

This is where, rather than charges resulting in a criminal record, the accused meets with the victim and a way is found to make amends.

It was agreed that Ms Gallagher, also of Lytham Road, should pay £600 for her mother’s headstone to resolve the matter.

The deadline was set for Wednesday this week, the anniversary of Mrs McPhee’s death.

But the money has not been paid. Ms Gallagher said she had been ‘really struggling’ to raise the cash, but pledged to find the money.

Police are due to speak to all the parties involved to decide the next step.

Prosecution is one option, or Ms McPhee could be given longer to pay the cash.

Her furious brother Ian McPhee, 47, slammed his sister and called her actions a ‘slap in the face’.

He said: “When the police told us what she’d done, I was gobsmacked.

"She is an embarrassment to the family and it has caused a lot of heartache.

"The family went out of their way while we were grieving to give her this opportunity, but she’s not paid for the headstone. I wanted to give her a chance because it’s what mum would have wanted to keep the family together.

“Despite her keep promising to do it, she has missed the deadline. I will now pay for it myself and hope she’s taken to court.”

Mrs McPhee, a housewife with 10 grandchildren, was cremated.

The family want to put the headstone next to her brother’s plot at Pleasington Cemetery.

Ms Gallagher she said she has been off work ill and struggling to raise the funds.

She said: “I apologised for what I did and agreed to make amends.

"I was grieving at the time I took the money and the reason I did was to pay for sandwiches for the funeral.

"In the six months since I agreed to pay for the headstone, I’ve been really struggling.

"But I’m going to get this money together and pay for it.

"I want somewhere I can go to pay my respects.”