Lettings agency manager, 57, who stole £140,000 from her firm to pay her son’s debts to drug lords is jailed for 28 months

• Wendy Dare, 57, siphoned cash after being forced into rented accommodation
• Mother-of-three, from Scarisbrick, Lancs, executed four and a half year scam
•  She was jailed for 28 months after admitting fraud by abuse of position

A lettings agency manager who stole nearly £140,000 from her boss after her son became embroiled in debt to drug lords was behind bars today.

Mother-of-three Wendy Dare, 57, siphoned off company money after she and her late husband Fred were forced to move into rented accommodation when they paid off the dealers out of their own savings.

During the four and a half year scam, Dare transferred the cash into various personal accounts including those in the name of her late husband and also one of her children.

She then arranged for her company to make 65 rental payments totalling £33,000 for properties leased by the couple’s daughters.

Wendy Dare, 57, siphoned off company money after she and her late husband Fred were forced to move into rented accommodation when they paid off the dealers out of their own savings

The mother-of-three transferred cash into personal accounts including those in the name of her late husband (left) and also one of her children. Her family knew nothing of the thefts

Dare eventually secretly paid back £32,000 but the losses she caused led to wage cuts and redundancies at Humphreys Estate Agents in Chester. 

Her family knew nothing of the thefts until they were uncovered during an audit.

Mr Dare, who was suffering from cancer and who had been left disabled following a road accident, was quizzed over possible money laundering allegations but no action was taken against him. He passed away earlier this month.

At Chester Crown Court, Dare, from Scarisbrick near Southport, Lancs, was jailed for 28 months after she admitted fraud by abuse of position. 

In mitigation Dare’s lawyer Peter Barnett said the thefts started when her son asked for help to clear a drug debt.

He said: ‘He came to his mother and father for help when people were demanding money from him and making threats to him and his family.

‘Stupidly they assisted and helped him and ended up losing their home and went into rented accommodation.

‘The money was taken in dribs and drabs and she was not aware of the effect on the company. She left due to plans to move out of the area and relocate.

Dare, from Scarisbrick near Southport, Lancs, was jailed for 28 months at Chester Crown Court after she admitted fraud by abuse of position. Her husband’s funeral was held last week after he passed away from cancer on March 1

‘She now finds herself alone before the court dealing with this matter. 

‘Fred Dare was interviewed at the same time she made full admissions but police determined that she was the one at fault. 

‘He did not know what was going on. She had hidden it from the family. The first time he knew about it was when asked to go to the police.

‘She is under no illusion about the seriousness of this matter.’

Dare’s daughters had rented properties through Humphreys but although the firm paid the landlords, no money had been received to cover the payments. 

Just prior to Dare leaving the company in 2020, she transferred £32,681 to Humphreys Estate Agents to cover up deficits in the account but the total loss was £106,054.

Prosecutor Joanne Moore said she had been employed by the firm from May 2015 until the end of December 2020 during which time she had sole access to the accounts.

She was discovered after the agency was taken over by another company and in June 2021 carried out an audit. The court heard ‘mismatched payments’ from tenants to landlords were initially discovered totalling £23,473 and inquiries revealed the cash had been transferred into accounts belonging to Dare, her late husband and one of her daughters.

Dare secretly paid back £32,681 just prior to leaving the company in 2020 but the losses she caused led to wage cuts and redundancies at Humphreys Estate Agents in Chester (above)

Miss Moore said: ‘There were 37 payments between September 2017 and September 2019 and made to an account registered to Fred Dare, totalling £47,308.29. 

‘Other payments marked down as “rent refunds” were never received by tenants.

‘Rather the money went to the accounts of Fred Dare and the daughter between 2016 and 2019, amounting to £7,147.50.’

She continued: ‘The period of account payments made was between February 2016, and November 2020. 

‘During this time Fred Dare was involved in a serious car accident which led to his hospitalisation and disability. 

‘As a result of the injury he received £618,416 and he received a large lump sum in December 2020. It is believed this coincides with when payments started to be made by the defendant to Humphreys Estate Agents.

‘Harm caused to the company was that it had to make redundancies and there was drop in bonuses paid and it further struggled. 

‘It is believed had they not changed their accounting system, the defendant would have continued as it would have gone undetected.

‘This offending can only go as far back as 2016 due to the fact that the company moved bank accounts at that point in time.’

Dare will now face a Proceeds of Crime hearing. 

Her husband’s funeral was held last week after he passed away from cancer on March 1.

Sentencing Judge Simon Berkson told Dare: ‘You had access to computer systems and money effectively within that company which you used to your own ends and to put away for your own family.

‘You moved money to various accounts in the name of people related to you, putting them at risk of being in the criminal spotlight. 

‘People lost money and the company had to make redundancies because of the losses at your hands.

‘Only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate due to the amount of money and abuse of the responsibility that you had.’

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