An Angus woman whose husband was jailed after forging her signature to obtain £120,000 says she will never trust another man.
Linda Donaldson (55) branded her estranged husband Fraser Donaldson (54) a ”conman” after seeing him sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment at Arbroath Sheriff Court.
The mother-of-three, who was a wealthy widow when she met the Dundee fraudster 15 years ago, said justice had finally been done.
”I am completely shattered that is the only way I can put it,” she said after Tuesday’s sentencing. ”I’m glad he has been sent to prison. It is just another surreal part of my life that has come to an end.
”My youngest child was five when his father died so he sees Fraser as a dad to him.”
Linda was forced to sell off her jewellery and family heirlooms to stay afloat financially as a result of the fraud.
She went from a large bungalow in Newbigging to a residential caravan at Barry Downs, near Carnoustie, after Donaldson left her almost penniless.
He remortgaged their four-bedroom house with three separate companies, only the first of which his wife had been aware.
When debt collectors turned up at the house on Linda’s birthday, it was the first she had heard of the enormous debt that bared her forged signature.
”If Fraser going to prison can stop him from scamming one other person, then it has been worth it,” said the former carer. ”Every time I have seen him in court he has shown no remorse. If it had been me, I would’ve had the decency to turn round and say sorry, but he has continued to lie.”
Former financial advisor Donaldson, of Stevenson Drive, Edinburgh, previously admitted that between August 1 2009 and August 31 2010, at Sanderson Place, Newbigging, he pretended to Birmingham Midshires PLC that his wife had signed a mortgage application and induced the firm to process an application, thereby obtaining a remortgage to the value of £120,000 by fraud.
Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence three months ago to allow Donaldson to show he could make payments in monthly installments of £330.
However, depute fiscal Arlene Shaw told the court no repayments had been made to his wife only £188 paid back to her mother.
Ms Shaw said Mrs Donaldson was involved in Court of Session proceedings with the mortgage lenders but her husband had failed to cooperate.
Defence agent Nigel Beaumont said his client was unable to make the payments because he was sacked.
He added: ”He was signing on but has now managed to secure another job, although it is not quite as lucrative as his previous employment.”
Sheriff Paterson told Donaldson: ”I’m not satisfied with the explanations you have given and it seems to me you have no real intention of repaying your wife. There is only one disposal open to me, and that is custody.”
A special Courier investigation following Donaldson’s conviction revealed he ran up debts of up to half a million pounds by asking childhood friends for money.