Banbury woman defrauded elderly couple out of over £900k
05/09/2025
“This case highlights just how important it is to choose carefully when granting power of attorney”
A Banbury woman has been jailed after she defrauded an elderly couple out of more than £901,400.
Fifty-seven-year-old Susan Bruland, of Keats Road, had her own book keeping business. She was a trusted friend of the couple, for whom she had power of attorney.
In that capacity between July 2022 and October 2023 Bruland transferred a total of £901,498.23 from their bank accounts into accounts controlled by her, for her own personal use.
The transfers began in 2022 with an amount of £19,200 on July 27, followed by the same amount again a few days later. In September another £18,000 was moved followed by numerous transfers until December, at which point the victim’s account was virtually empty.
In January 2023, a further £30,000 was transferred from the couple’s joint account, into one of the couple’s personal account, and then into Bruland’s account.
Police enquiries showed that in March 2023, Bruland had transferred £25,000 to two separate recipients who purported to work for an investment platform. Bruland began opening a number of bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, investing £150,000 of the stolen money in cryptocurrency.
Between April 2023 and June 2023, Bruland continued transferring tens of thousands of pounds from one of the couple’s accounts into her own. Throughout May, Bruland sent £44,978 to unknown recipients, again as part of a cryptocurrency investment.
Eventually the bank closed Bruland’s account due to fraud concerns.
She was arrested by police on January 17, 2024. Bruland told officers that she had borrowed the money from the couple to support her business. The police investigation could not find any evidence of any agreement in place between Bruland and the couple, or any record of how the money was invested or spent.
At Oxford Crown Court last Friday (August 29) Bruland was sentenced to five years in prison for two counts of fraud by abuse of position.
Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn, head of Thames Valley Police’s Central Fraud Unit, said: “In total Bruland took over £900,000 from two elderly vulnerable people she was given responsibility to act for. Bruland demonstrated a complete disregard for the position of trust she had been placed in, and neglected the responsibility she held to act in the best interest of the victims. Bruland has offered little remorse or explanation for her actions.
“Bruland pleaded guilty to all charges due to the overwhelming evidence presented following a meticulous investigation by Detective Sergeant Katy Lewis and the High Harm Fraud Team. This substantial sentence of five years imprisonment shows that the offences committed were at the top of the scale for fraud offences.
“As the Judge alluded to in their sentencing remarks, the defendant was given one of the most responsible positions there can be and callously disregarded this for her own means. The conviction and sentence of Bruland sends a clear message that those who exploit vulnerable people in our community will be brought to justice. We will continue to work closely with our partners to protect those at risk and ensure offenders are held accountable for their actions.
“This case highlights just how important it is to choose carefully when granting power of attorney. It is a powerful legal responsibility that allows someone to make decisions and manage finances on your behalf. We would urge anyone considering it to seek proper legal advice, only appoint someone you absolutely trust, and where possible ensure there is proactive oversight from more than one person.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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