Four victims of Bath bogus charity collector to receive compensation

Four victims of a woman who posed as an RNLI charity collector in Bath and Exeter are set to receive compensation following an investigation.

Eileen McDonagh, from London, bought an RNLI lanyard and uniform before pretending she was authorised to collect donations for the charity.

She was often accompanied by some of her children, who were also wearing branded clothing, and falsely told members of the public that she was fundraising because a family member had drowned at sea.

Some donors were charged far more than they had agreed to give. One person who believed they were donating £2 through a card reader was charged £20, while another who agreed to give £10 later discovered £100 had been taken from their bank account.

McDonagh completed more than 3,600 successful transactions before she was arrested in 2023.

In September last year, she was given a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to four fraud offences and one count of money laundering.

Following the conviction, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit began confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

An order was granted at Bristol Crown Court on 6th July after McDonagh was found to have benefited from her offending by £64,178.86.

She was assessed as having £996.98 available. The four victims who supported the investigation are now in the process of receiving full compensation from those funds.

Detective Inspector Dan Watts, from the SWROCU, said: “McDonagh deliberately defrauded members of the public by appearing as a volunteer who was authorised to raise funds for the RNLI.

“Recovering money from such criminality can be challenging but thanks to our detailed financial investigation and the use of Proceeds of Crime Act powers, I am pleased that the four victims who assisted in the prosecution were able to be recompensed.

“We are committed to ensuring offenders do not keep the money they have made through illicit means.

“The confiscation order which has been granted can be revisited at any time; if we become aware of any new assets available to McDonagh in the future, these can be seized and used to pay the remainder owed.”