A shameless loan shark from Hulme posted spiteful Facebook messages mocking victims of her illegal money lending racket – as they testified against her in court.
Mother-of-two and foster carer Dawn Lowe, 50, brazenly took to the social media site to berate the ”lying Judas’s” as they gave evidence at her three week trial – even posting a message during a lunch break.
One message read: ”One looks like a rat anyway and the only truth she told was her name, hahaha.”
Another said: ”Watch because my condemner will themselves in turn have to face the truth of their own lies.”
The messages formed part of a ranting running commentary by Lowe on her Facebook page which also featured pictures of her partying – on one occasion dressed as an evil eyed blood spattered zombie at a Halloween themed bash.
Yesterday, Lowe was facing up to two years jail after being convicted on Wednesday of 16 counts of carrying on a consumer credit business without a licence. But she was found not guilty of one charge of blackmail.
During her trial the jury heard how one of Lowe’s 11 clients who borrowed money was sent abusive text messages in a bid to make her repay over £100,000 interest.
One victim, a 49-year-old businesswoman, said she considered driving her car off a bridge or taking a drug overdose after she borrowed £50,000 in a bid to ease her financial problems. But she was then landed with demands for repayment totalling £165,000.
Over a seven year period, the woman, who ran a sandwich shop and other businesses claimed she was ”mithered to death” by childhood friend Lowe who allegedly threatened to reveal the loan to her family if she did not pay up.
One text message Lowe allegedly sent to her read: “You better get the fucking money in or I will tell your son. I will come to the shop and will take it out of your till. Don’t think you can get away with missing this week. I need my money.”
It was claimed other texts from Lowe included: “Please let’s not be playing catch up, don’t think you know how pissed off I am, I need my money ASAP, if you don’t pay I will tell.”
A third read: “Sorry for the text but you bring it on. I want £575 in my bank so start putting it in now. Can’t believe after how I’ve been. I’m sick of playing catch up. I’m being as fair as I can.
“I don’t want it split in drips and drabs, my patience is running really thin. I’m struggling because of you, friend or not.”
The woman handed over £125,000 before Lowe was arrested in July 2012 during an investigation into her unlicensed money lending operation. She had been due to pay a further £40,000.
The Facebook messages emerged after she was remanded in custody at Manchester Crown Court to face sentence. It is not believed the court knew of the open profile postings during the trial. The Facebook page was disabled on Thursday.
Earlier the jury was told Lowe had run her illegal ”payday-style” cash loans business whilst she looked after children for Manchester City Council.
She was paid around £24,000 of taxpayers’ cash caring for needy youngsters whilst accepting almost £300,000 from debtors over a seven-year period from 2005.
She used credit cards to access cash which she then loaned out to hard-up families – whilst switching balances on promotional deals to avoid paying interest. Debtors were tricked into paying her up to three times the original sum.
No paperwork was provided by Lowe, and no records kept by her 11 ”vulnerable” victims including a mentally ill woman who cannot read. Lowe also ran an illegal catalogue business for 13 years, ordering goods for nine people and charging them ‘commission’.
Lowe began her commentary in the run up her trial – posting a New Year message on December 31 warning: ”2014 Is going to be a good year for me. It is the year I am going to watch the downfall of all the fake friends who tried to bring me down but failed.
”All they really did was make me find the strength inside myself that i didn’t realise I had. Happy New year to all the GOOD REAL ppl out there.”
But on January 15 two days after her trial started and featured in a local paper Lowe posted a foul mouthed message saying: ”Fucking Dirty Lying Bastards. Well folks DO NOT believe everything you read.
”YES this is what so called friends who I CANNOT NAME AND SHAME yet but I will because after 18months of hell My TRIAL has just started and the truth shall prevail.
”Watch because my condemner will themselves in turn HAVE TO FACE THE TRUTH OF THEIR OWN LIES….”
On January 17 she posted a lengthy message which included: ”Well folks just getting ready for another gruelling day in court to listen to more lies…the tales of the Judas’s are being ripped apart.
”It is really hard and stressful to hear and watch the people who you cared about and helped for many years, stand in front of you and your family and lie, when in their heart they know the truth (not sure if they have a heart tbh) especially when one of them was like my sister, that is the one that hurt the most.
”At least she told half-truths. The second one looks like a rat anyway and the only truth she told was her name, Hahaha.
”The third one of the day realised what she had done and I don’t think she know it would escalate this far cos she does this in anger all the time, I even believe she got someone sacked from their job because of her outburst of anger.
”Either way I forgive them all because they know not what they have done. In hindsight they did me a favour, when I think about it, and they should think about it too. I know they will all miss me far more than I will miss them……To be continued…”
Her final posting on January 22 read: ”At court. Lunch break…..stressful but the truth is being heard, let’s hope it’s believed.”
Councillor Kate Chappell, Executive Member for the Environment, Manchester City Council said after the case: “Loan sharks are ruthless criminals who target some of the most vulnerable members of society and exploit the fact that the economic downturn has left many people struggling to make ends meet.
“But the days when loan sharks could expect to get away with causing misery are over, and the illegal money lending team is working closely with the police and council to bring these people to justice.”
Lowe will be sentenced on March 3.
Picture courtesy of moneyblognewz, with thanks.
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