Woman who murdered her husband forced to repay stolen pension (From Harrow Times)

Woman who murdered her Harrow husband forced to repay stolen pension at Old Bailey

12:40pm Thursday 7th February 2013 in News By Jaber Mohamed

A woman who murdered her husband then forged his signature to claim his pension has been ordered to pay back more than £140,000 at the Old Bailey.

Shirley Banfield, 65, and her daughter Lynette, 41, of Ashford Road, Canterbury, Kent, were jointly convicted of the murder of former Harrow resident Don Banfield, 63, last April.

Mr Banfield, a retired William Hill shop manager, was reported missing in May 2001 but his body was never found.

An investigation by the Homicide and Serious Crime Unit found that his wife sold the family home in Harrow shortly after his disappearance by forging his signature.

She also forged documents in her husband's name to ensure that his state pension and William Hill pension continued to be paid into their joint account until 2008.

Mrs Banfield had gone on to buy and sell a number of properties and eventually settled in Canterbury.

Mrs Banfield was sentenced to 18 years for murder and a total of four years and six months for the other charges, to run concurrently with the murder sentence.

On January 28 she was given the confiscation order to the value of £140,638.48.

A compensation order for £294.51 was also made in favour of William Hill Trustees.