A MOTHER-OF-THREE who used her 69-year-old grandmother’s identity to buy a £30,000 Mercedes has been spared prison after a court heard her husband could be jailed later this month for a ‘glassing’ attack.

Preston Crown Court heard how in late 2016, 30-year-old Danielle Prescott had been unable to get finance for the car because of a poor credit history.

Prosecuting, Emma Kehoe said Prescott’s grandmother Irene White had suffered a bad fall and was in Royal Preston Hospital.

When she was released in December 2016 Prescott offered to let her grandmother stay at her house while she recovered.

And while Ms White’s Burnley home was empty Prescott let herself in and found her grandmother’s passport and a bank statement.

Ms Kehoe said Prescott used those documents and forged Ms White’s signature to get finance in her name for a white Mercedes C220 AMG car.

The court heard how Ms White knew nothing of the transaction until the Mercedes arrived on her driveway. When she queried why she was being asked to sign for it Prescott told her it was just because it was being delivered to her address.

Ms White was shocked when she checked her bank balance some weeks later and found she was significantly overdrawn. When she checked her transactions she found payments had been going out to Mercedes Finance.

Ms Keogh said: “She made various enquiries with Mercedes and her granddaughter. Mercedes wouldn’t assist her in any way. They said the application had been made in her name and documents were used as proof of identity.

“She confronted her granddaughter about the fraud and got nowhere. It was with complete and utter reluctance she went to the police. She then received further fines. There were speeding tickets and parking tickets.”

When Prescott was arrested she initially suggested her grandmother knew about the transaction and had allowed her to make it. When she was told her grandmother was adamant she knew nothing about it, Prescott said Ms White was suffering a mental illness or alcoholism.

However last week Prescott, of Glendale Crescent, Lostock Hall, finally admitted her guilt and pleaded guilty to fraud.

Ms Kehoe said: “The grandmother has gone from being an independent lady who travelled down south to see relatives, and even had a job, to somebody who rarely leaves the house.”

Defending, Gary Lawrenson said his client had been raised by her grandmother until the age of three and they had an extremely close relationship, which she had now lost through her ‘greed, selfishness and childishness’.

He urged Recorder Tom Gilbart not to jail his client because there was a very likely chance she will become sole carer for her three children when her husband is sentenced in his unlawful wounding case on November 18.

Imposing a 22-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, Recorder Gilbart said: “You should be utterly ashamed of yourself. What you did was to abuse the trust your grandmother had shown in you. It is appalling. More so because your grandmother was the primary carer for you in the first three years of your life.

“I am persuaded, very narrowly, that the sentence in this case should be suspended. That is principally because of the effect your imprisonment would have on your young children.”