Mother took cash as an escape fund to flee lover (From Worcester News)

Mother took cash as an escape fund to flee lover

4:50pm Monday 8th February 2010 in

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A WOMAN removed more than £18,000 from her Droitwich home on the day her drug dealer boyfriend was arrested.

Kristy O’Dowd stashed the money, along with another £5,000 she withdrew from her bank account, in a safe at her brother’s home, Worcester Crown Court was told.

She stole the money from a bag in a desk at the property she had shared with Neal Stone, the father of two of her children, said Paul Whitfield, prosecuting.

She told police she got a phone call from someone, whom she declined to name, telling her to remove the cash.

Mum-of-three O’Dowd later revealed that she had secretly “creamed off” nearly £20,000 of Stone’s money over a 12-month period for an “escape fund” to end their relationship, said Mr Whitfield.

O’Dowd accused Stone of being violent to her and her one child fathered by another man and wanted to leave him.

Stone was jailed for five years on May 6 last year for conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis. O’Dowd, aged 29, of Jackdaw Lane, admitted concealing criminal property totalling £23,750 and the theft of £19,800 from Stone.

Her brother Denis O’Dowd, a 28-year-old butcher of Tennyson Road, Hinkley, Leicestershire, admitted handling stolen goods.

Judge Richard Rundell accepted that O’Dowd suspected Stone of criminal conduct rather knowing he was criminally active.

He said that she had been in an abusive relationship and had obtained “financial assistance” from sums of money belonging to Stone.

The judge gave both defendants 12-month community orders and told them to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Each defendant – both of previous good character – must also pay £1,236 prosecution costs.

Stone was arrested on November 14, 2008, the same day that £18,750 disappeared from his home, said Mr Whitfield. Police who raided the property found no money or drugs and O’Dowd was missing.

The £18,750 plus £5,000 from O’Dowd’s account was hidden in a safe in her brother’s loft.

Police found the safe keys at the Redditch home of O’Dowd’s babysitter.

O’Dowd told police she planned to leave Stone and was saving an “escape fund” from his cash.

Abigail Nixon, for O’Dowd, said she became introverted and lost her self-esteem during her relationship with Stone.

O’Dowd only felt safe when Stone was arrested and now planned to go to university.

“She was driven to desperation by the situation in which she was living,” said Miss Nixon. “She maintained throughout her police interview that she didn’t know he was dealing in drugs.”

Martin Butterworth, for O’Dowd’s brother, said his attempt to help his sister had left his wife “furious” and his marriage difficulties were not yet over.