Woman defrauded aunt out of £300k to build gym in former church

A woman is facing a prison sentence after defrauding her elderly aunt out of more than £300,000 to build a gym.

Margaret Cassidy stole a total of £317,475 from 89-year-old Elizabeth Murphy between December 2020 and January 2022.

The 51-year-old used most of the money to convert the disused former St Kenneth's Church in Linthouse in Glasgow into the Sanctuary Gym.

Cassidy was convicted of defrauding her aunt, who has since died, at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was granted bail ahead of sentencing next month.

Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told her: "These are serious matters and it is important that you understand that.

"This substantial scale is worrying in nature and a prison sentence is one of the options that is seriously under consideration."

Murphy inherited the money after her husband died in 2019.

The court heard how her niece soon used her cash to buy £136 yoga pants.

Cassidy went on to transfer £24,000 from her aunt's bank account to purchase expensive fitness equipment.

About £160,000 was then used for extensive renovations to transform the Victorian C-listed former church into a gym owned.

It also emerged a further £101,000 was paid into Cassidy's account.

At the time advertising at the Sanctuary Gym said it hoped to sign up 600 members with personal trainers on site and one-to-one coaching.

The court heard Cassidy also spent £2,400 on a council tax bill; £2,200 on artificial grass at her business partner's home; £1,300 at designer tailors Forbes; and £800 at Glasgow's Corinthian's casino.

She also put down a deposit to have her eyebrows tattooed, but ended up not going through with the cosmetic work.

Cassidy even pretended to be a legal secretary to help scam £90,000 of gym equipment from a fitness company.

A bogus email was sent pretending to be from the law firm claiming funds would be sent for the goods.

The equipment was then delivered in good faith but the company was never paid.

Cassidy was eventually caught in 2022 when her aunt visited her bank.

Murphy discovered a large amount of cash had gone and she confronted her niece.

In a police statement, she said: "Margaret admitted and apologised - she said she was in bother and would pay it back. I have not heard anything since.

"I am in shock. I trusted her to deal with things at the bank but I never gave her permission to get money.

"She should not be walking about - she should be in jail."

Murphy only got back just over £4,000 of her cash. Jurors heard she had since died, so her statements were crucial in securing justice.

Cassidy maintained she had not conned her aunt.

But fiscal Michael Cunningham put to her that she used Murphy's bank account and money to set the gym up and buy other items without her aunt's permission or knowledge.

He also suggested she took advantage of her aunt, which she denied.

In his closing speech, Cunningham spoke of Cassidy even pretending to be her aunt during phone calls in connection with payments to be made.

He added this was "the lengths that she is prepared to go to get what she wanted".

Cunningham told jurors: "Elizabeth Murphy got money when her husband passed away.

"I suggest Margaret Cassidy was aware of this and reappeared in her life around this time. She took advantage of her and used her money for her own gain.

"She used money to open Sanctuary Gym, do up her business partner's house, buy gifts and make other purchases along the way. All of this, she appeared to keep secret from Elizabeth Murphy."

Cassidy was also found guilty of defrauding the fitness company of the £90,000 gym equipment.

Sentencing was deferred for reports.