A 26-year-old woman has been fined and handed a community order after committing fraud to the tune of £4,450.

Jessica Hall pleaded guilty at Preston Magistrates Court to four fraud by false representation offences and one act of theft from an employee.

Hall committed the offences in June and July 2019, when she pretended to be four separate people in order to make a financial gain for herself, before stealing jewellery to the value of £4,830.

On June 4 2019, the court heard how she dishonestly made a false representation, by pretending to be a woman named Ayyub Anita, with the intention of making £800.

Two and a half weeks later, on June 22, Hall again dishonestly made a false representation, when she pretended to be Christopher Gillibrand, with the intention of making £100 for herself.

Then on June 27, just five days after, she again pretended to be another person, this time Kathleen Barwise, with the intention of making a financial gain for herself, totalling £1,500.

The fourth offence related to an incident on July 1 2019 where Hall made another false representation, pretending to be a woman named Isla Baines, where she intended to make a financial gain of £2,050.

All the offences were contrary to sections one and two of the Fraud Act 2006.

The court also heard that on July 5, the 26-year-old, who was then 24, stole jewellery to the value of £4,830 belonging to a branch of Ramsdens Financial Limited.

Hall of Belmont Court, Longridge, pleaded guilty to the offences in August, and on September 3 was handed a community order, told to complete 20 rehabilitation days, and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months, at a sentencing in Preston.

She was also fined a total of £1,770 including court costs, which the court has ordered her to pay back at a rate of £200 per month.

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