The lowest of the low

Amanda Stevens, aged 38, created a memorial fund to hit-and-run victim Gemma Rolfe, 12, who died in an accident in Slade Green two years ago.

She collected cash from shopkeepers and tried to convince Gemma's mother, Janet Ford, she had given the money to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

But the framed thank-you letter and photocopied cheque she gave Mrs Ford were forgeries, Bexley magistrates heard.

At a previous hearing Stevens, whose daughter was at Erith School with Gemma, pleaded guilty to seven charges of theft from staff working at shops in Bexley Road, Northumberland Heath, in April and May last year.

Adetutu Sofowora, prosecuting, said Stevens had told Mrs Ford, who knew nothing about any memorial fund for her daughter, she had collected £500 and asked which charity she wanted it sent to.

Mrs Ford nominated the children's hospital and after several weeks asked Stevens for the receipt from the hospital for the cash.

The court was told Stevens, of Avenue Road, Erith, kept putting Mrs Ford off, saying she wanted it enlarged to a poster size for Mrs Ford to display in the Northumberland Heath shop where she works.

Eventually, last September, Stevens sent her 10-year-old son to the shop with the thank-you letter and a photocopy of the £500 cheque.

But Mrs Ford was suspicious because, having donated money to the hospital in Gemma's name herself, she realised Stevens' thank-you note was not in the hospital's usual format.

After making her own inquiries with the Woolwich bank and the hospital, she discovered the cheque had only been for £5 and had been doctored for the photocopy. The hospital had no record of any donation.

Mrs Ford then went to the police and their handwriting experts said the note had been written by Stevens.

Stevens also pleaded guilty to breaching a community punishment order imposed in July last year.

She had failed to do any of the 120 hours of community punishment for obtaining £3,800 by deception from her own mother-in-law.

Stevens had taken five passbooks for the Woolwich bank from her mother-in-law's house after being given the key to look after the dog while her mother-in-law was on holiday.

The money was being saved in accounts for each of Stevens' five children by their grandmother.

The court heard since October last year Stevens had been trying to delay court proceedings.

And last week her lawyer applied for another adjournment.

But Rob Clarke, representing the probation service, objected "in the strongest terms".

He told the court in a bid to escape prosecution for the breach of the community punishment order, Stevens had claimed to be suffering from cervical cancer.

When she was asked to produce proof of her illness, Stevens provided an altered prescription which turned out to be for severe heartburn.

She also provided a letter asking for a medical report which Mr Clarke described as "the worst forgery I have ever seen".

Stevens' lawyer Rosie Davidson said the memorial fund for Gemma Rolfe had been genuine.

However, Stevens had then borrowed the money when she got into financial difficulties.

Stevens had also taken the money from her mother-in-law to pay rent.

She said the family's only source of income was Stevens' benefits.

The family also had a catalogue of problems including an autistic son who suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and epilepsy, a daughter with diabetes, another daughter excluded from school and a fourth daughter who is eight months pregnant.

Her husband suffers from bi-polar disorder and attempted suicide last year.

Chairman of the bench Richard Percival sentenced Stevens to a month in jail for the thefts involving Gemma Rolfe and four months in jail for the original theft and deception involving her mother-in-law. They will run concurrently.

She is already paying £1,000 compensation to her mother-in-law and must pay back shopkeepers their donations.

Mrs Ford, 38, who was in court, said afterwards Stevens had taken advantage of the fact Gemma had been well known and loved.