September 27th 2024.
Danielle Kelly, a 28-year-old woman, found herself in a difficult situation when her mother passed away on May 9th last year. With the costs of a funeral looming over her, she turned to the kindness of others and set up a GoFundMe page on May 31st, asking for donations to cover the expenses. She explained that her mother, who she described as "loving and caring," had requested a simple burial, but even that was costly and beyond her means.
Her initial goal was to raise £2,500, but to her surprise and gratitude, she received an overwhelming response from 43 donors who contributed a total of £1,470 through the GoFundMe site. She also received two additional donations of £1,000, one from an unnamed woman and another from her uncle. With a total of £3,470 raised, Danielle contacted the council in mid-August, admitting that she was struggling financially and needed help with the funeral costs.
However, it later came to light that the funeral directors had not been paid, and the costs were ultimately covered by Derbyshire Council on September 22nd. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Danielle had spent the £2,000 she received from the GoFundMe page on personal expenses, such as rent, bills, and living costs. It's unclear if she also used the additional donations for these purposes, but they were never used towards the intended purpose of the funeral.
During her police interview, Danielle admitted to using the money for her personal expenses, but she expressed remorse and explained that she did so due to her financial struggles at the time. She also stated that she has not been able to repay any of the cash since she's currently unemployed.
In court, Danielle pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. Representing herself, she expressed regret for her actions and apologized for taking advantage of the generosity of others. The district judge, Stephen Hayes, sentenced her to a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation activity requirement for 15 days and 140 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay a total of £1,500 in compensation, with £500 going to each of the three parties entitled to a payment.
The judge acknowledged that Danielle's actions were deplorable and deserving of an immediate jail sentence. However, he decided to suspend it due to the delay in the case coming to court. He also pointed out that Danielle not only took advantage of the kindness of strangers through her GoFundMe page, but she also deceived her own family members who had contributed to the cause. In his words, "It is difficult to think of how you could have acted in a worse way than you did."
On the GoFundMe page, Danielle had written a heartfelt plea for help, stating that she wanted to give her mother a simple burial as per her wishes. She also expressed her gratitude for any donations, no matter how small. However, her actions proved to be a betrayal of the trust placed in her by her donors and loved ones.
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