Liar and cheat

The pair, cleared last year of conspiring to murder husband and father Geoffrey Leeming, will learn their fate on Friday after each pleaded guilty to their part in a series of deceptions over several months.

The offences included a dishonest £149,136 mortgage loan involving several different companies and social security fraud.

York police previously accused them of conspiring with Jackie's daughter, Jayne, and accountant Malcolm Herbert to murder Jackie's husband, Geoffrey.

Geoffrey Leeming was found stabbed to death in the garage of the couple's then home in Linley Avenue, Haxby, in October 1996.

But in July last year stipendiary magistrate Guy Hodgson threw out the murder case at committal stage, saying the case was brought on the basis of suspicions only, with no real evidence.

All three members of the Leeming family and Herbert were committed from York Magistrates Court to Teesside Crown Court accused of fraudulent trading involving the family firm, Leeming Drains Services Ltd.

The Crown Prosecution Service today offered no evidence on the fraudulent trading charge and all four were formally acquitted.Jayne Leeming walked free from court after being cleared of fraudulent trading, the only charge remaining against her in the case.

But Jackie Leeming, aged 56, of Plainville Lane, Wigginton, pleaded guilty to two deception charges involving a total of £159,000.

At the same time Stephen Leeming, aged 33, formerly of Stockton on the Forest, pleaded guilty to five deception charges involving three different finance companies, getting incapacity benefit by deception, and deception and attempted deception involving redundancy and employment protection policies.

Malcolm Herbert, aged 38, of Stray Road, Heworth, pleaded guilty to one charge of deception and one of attempted deception involving two different companies.

Judge Peter Fox QC, told the three guilty people: "You should realise that I have sentences of imprisonment in mind."

He released them on bail until Friday so that probation officers can prepare pre-sentence reports on them.

The judge discharged Jayne Leeming, aged 31, of the same address as her mother.

Today's charges were:

That Jackie Leeming obtained services by deception between May 15 1996 and May 20 1996 by dishonestly obtaining a loan of £10,000 from the Halifax Building Society by falsely representing that it was to buy a motor vehicle, that she lived at 50 Forestgate, Haxby, and that her monthly expenditure was £395.

That Jackie Leeming and Malcolm Herbert obtained a mortgage loan and advance by deception from the Leeds and Holbeck Building Society between July 30, 1996 and October 11, 1996, by falsely representing that she lived at 50 Forestgate, Haxby, and that her total annual income was £83,000.

That Stephen Leeming procured the execution of a valuable security by deception between April 17, 1996 and April 27 1996, namely a loan and advance from TGB Finance Ltd of £22,800 by falsely representing that he was and had been for four years a company director of Leeming Drains Services.

That Malcolm Herbert and Stephen Leeming attempted to obtain by deception between August 1 1996, and October 10, 1996 from Consolidated Finances Insurance credit balances relating to monthly payments on redundancy and employment protection policies by falsely representing that Stephen Leeming was a company director of Leeming Drains Services and had been made unemployed by Leeming Drains Services Ltd.

A similar charge to number four involving Stephen Leeming only. The attempted deception occurred between July 1 1996 and October 10, 1996, was against First National Bank plc, and did not include claims that Stephen Leeming had been a company director.

That Stephen Leeming obtained the execution of a valuable security by deception namely a social security benefit money order for incapacity benefit on three occasions by falsely representing that he was unemployed and incapable of working.

Deadly saga in lives of troubled family

Widow Jackie Leeming could go to jail later this week after admitting deception offences. But it was allegations that she conspired to murder her husband that brought her national prominence. Mike Laycock reports

It was a sensational saga that began on the evening of October 9, 1996, in a quiet cul-de-sac in Haxby, when Geoffrey Leeming was stabbed to death after going out to lock the garage.

It was a terrible and brutal death, and at first everyone's sympathy went out to his widow Jackie Leeming.

A month after he died, she made an emotional appeal for help to catch her husband's killer. She said he had been cruelly murdered and taken from her and her family. "They've taken my life and destroyed the life of his two sons and daughter," she told a press conference.

The following April, the Evening Press exclusively revealed how Mrs Leeming was the victim of a whispering campaign by a "village of hate." She said her life had become a living hell, with rumours rife, and villagers pointing the finger at her and her family. She later appeared on GMTV to make the same claims.

In June, she said she feared a vendetta was being waged against her after her van was stolen and burglars broke into the pub she was then running, the Marcia in Bishopthorpe.

The following month, she was arrested by officers who swooped on the pub, and detectives also called on the family business, Leeming Drains Services, at Stockton-on-the-Forest.

Four days later, she was accused of plotting to murder her husband, and also accused of conspiracy to defraud. The prosecution told magistrates that there was compelling circumstantial evidence to connect her to the killing. The prosecution claimed the killing was motivated by her desire to use her husband's cash to fund a fraudulent property investment and keep their failing business afloat.

But Leeming's solicitor told magistrates there was no evidence to connect her to the killing, and she would fight vigorously to clear her name.

One year later, in July last year, charges of conspiracy to murder were sensationally thrown out by stipendiary magistrate Guy Hodgson during a committal hearing.

He said the charges had been brought on the basis of suspicions only, and police and prosecutors had no real evidence.

The prosecution view had been that the family had hired a contract killer to murder Geoffrey Leeming because they had money problems. But he kept coming back to the view that on careful reflection, the case rested on supposition and suspicion. He had come to the conclusion that police still did not know who killed Mr Leeming, and had come to court with nothing "apart from a theory."

But he decided the family should stand trial on the fraud charges - leading to today's case at Teesside Crown Court.

Leeming son's attack on doorman

Stephen Leeming assaulted a York nightclub doorman in the weeks following his father's death, the Evening Press can reveal today.

At York Magistrates Court on August 28, 1997, Leeming was ordered to carry out 70 hours' community service, pay £150 compensation and undergo a year's probation for the assault on security manager Dominic M'Benga.

Leeming, formerly of Stockton-on-the-Forest, admitted the charge at an earlier hearing. Sentencing had been deferred to monitor his observance of a previous community service order. Legal restrictions have prevented the press from reporting details of the case until today. David Garnett, prosecuting, told magistrates the incident occurred outside Macmillans nightclub in York at 9.20pm on December 28, 1996, when Mr M'Benga was working on the door. A complaint was made by a woman about the behaviour of another customer and Leeming was pointed out as being responsible, Mr Garnett said. The woman's boyfriend punched Leeming in the face and door staff ejected both men. A short time later Leeming re-appeared and punched Mr M'Benga, knocking out a tooth and causing a swollen lip. Other door staff became involved, restraining Leeming on the floor before police were called. Interviewed next day, he told police he had little recollection of the event. "Things were bottled up due to the death of his father and grandfather," Mr Garnett said.

Jim Withyman, mitigating, said Leeming accepted he was drunk and accepted his guilt.

At the same hearing, Leeming admitted driving while disqualified and driving without insurance on February 6, 1997.

He was disqualified from driving for six months, fined £300 and ordered to pay £100 costs. There was no separate penalty for the insurance offence.

Mr Garnett told the court Leeming was disqualified from driving in 1996. On February 6 he was seen by police officers driving a tanker on the A19 at Deighton, near York.

Mr Withyman said Leeming had lodged an appeal at crown court against his one-year drink-driving conviction and believed the sentence was automatically deferred.

He had driven because his business was deteriorating and he wanted to show willingness to help the workforce.

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