A British woman, Kathryn Walker, whose soldier son, Richard Walker died on duty in Afghanistan in 2013, has been arraigned in court for squandering more than £450,000 her son left in his will for someone else

A British woman, Kathryn Walker, whose soldier son, Richard Walker died on duty in Afghanistan in 2013, has been arraigned in court for squandering more than £450,000 her son left in his will for someone else.
 
Kathryn who wasted the money on “extravagant” purchases, was entrusted as executor of the will. A court heard the items she used the money on included vehicles, caravans, horses, private number plates and paying off her own debts, reports Chronicle Live.
 
The fraud came to light after a relative of the intended beneficiary heard gossip that Kathryn had become “minted” following the death of her son, Sapper Walker.
 
Newcastle Crown Court heard the sum left by Sapper Walker, after deductions, amounted to £455,774. A cheque for that amount was paid to Walker in 2014. When the intended beneficiary’s representative didn’t get statements about the money, she became concerned and tried to make inquiries through Walker’s solicitors but was told they couldn’t help her.
 
Prosecutor Nick Lane said; 
 

“Several years later she bumped into someone who passed on information that Kathryn Walker was supposed to be ‘minted’ since her son’s death. She had recently bought horses and stables.
“This concerned (the woman) because she understood from Mr Walker that his mum was not good with money. She had survived on benefits and had borrowed money from her son.”

 
The woman asked lawyers to investigate the money and letters were sent to Kathryn, 56, asking her to provide information but no response was received. She also failed to respond to an order from Newcastle probate registry requiring she provide an inventory of the estate.
 
After enforcement action was started in 2020, Kathryn contacted the woman’s solicitors by phone, saying she had invested the funds in a caravan park but the business failed and she lost it.
 

 
Police were informed and checks showed that within four months of getting the money she had dispersed the funds. She put £137,000 into another account she had and spent £237,000 buying caravans in Whitley Bay. She also took out more than £30,000 in cash.