WESTERN CAPE: The Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 15 April 2024 sentenced Virginia Dawn Wilscot (60) for fraud, theft, forgery and uttering. This comes after her conviction on the 25th of March 2024. 

It is alleged that from 2012 to 2017, the accused made misrepresentations to the victims that she was an agent registered to buy houses and vehicles on auction. The accused presented the victims with fictitious and altered documents of houses and vehicles that were supposed to be auctioned. They made payments to the bank account of the accused for the services that were never delivered. The victims suffered a loss to the amount of R3 million.

The matter was reported to the Hawks' Bellville-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for probing. Wilscot was subsequently found guilty on twenty (20) counts of fraud, one (1) count of theft and eight (8) counts of forgery and uttering. She has been an awaiting trial prisoner since September 2017. The Magistrate took six (6) years and (8) months to consideration to the sentence as she had been in custody since her arrest.

The accused was sentenced as follows:

21 x charges of fraud - 11 years direct imprisonment 

1 x charge of theft - 6 years imprisonment.

5 x charges of forgery and uttering - 5 years imprisonment.

All sentences were taken together. 

Wilscot will effectively serve 11 years of direct imprisonment.

Enquiries: Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani

071 351 7447