Kayleigh Pepper: Hull fraudster stole £20k from fund for dead brother

A fraudster who stole money from funds set up in memory of her fatally-stabbed brother and a boy shot dead by his own great-grandfather has been jailed.

Kayleigh Towler, 36, blew an estimated £20,000 of stolen cash on travel, hotels and meals out.

The money was taken from funds set up in memory of Richard Pepper and six-year-old Stanley Metcalf.

Towler, formerly known as Kayleigh Pepper, of Albert Avenue, Hull was jailed for a year and eight months.

She was sentenced at Hull Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to fraud by abuse of position.

Richard Pepper died after being stabbed in Hull in 2015 while Stanley Metcalf was shot by Albert Grannon with an unlicensed air rifle in Sproatley in July 2018.

Towler set up the Rich Foundation in 2016 in memory of her brother and campaigned against knife crime in Hull following his death.

According to the Hull Daily Mail she stole thousands from the foundation and also kept £2,850 raised for a memorial garden at Stanley's school.

Speaking after the hearing Stanley's mother, Jenny Dees, said: "I'm disappointed about what Kayleigh has done but I'm pleased with today's outcome and do feel some justice has been served.

"I would now like to draw a line under it so that I can grieve properly for Stanley."

Det Insp Ben Robinson of Humberside Police said: "Those monies should have been used to help and support a family grieving for the loss of their little boy.

"I hope that today's outcome provides the family and those members of the public who donated with some comfort in knowing that Towler is now being punished for her selfish and deceitful actions.

"Unfortunately, fraudsters do take advantage of the kindness and generosity of members of the public when giving to charitable causes and those who are in need."

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