A WIDOW claimed more than £38,000 of her husband’s pension for 13 years after his death, a court was told.

Stella Leah Hughes, aged 78, returned letters signed in her dead husband’s name and made calls on his behalf claiming he had suffered a stroke, Dorchester Crown Court was told.

Hughes, formerly of Weymouth and now of Westbridge park Sherborne, was sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

The court was told that her husband, David Lloyd Hughe,s retired from Weymouth company Blundell Harling in 1991 and died in July 1993.

But Judge Richard Onslow heard that the Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) was alerted to his death 14 years later by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Prosecuting, Paul Hester said HBOS took over a company pension originally started with Equitable Life which did not include payments to next of kin but had continued to be credited to a joint account after Mr Hughes’ death.

Hughes pleaded guilty to theft for payments made between September 25, 2003 and January 14, 2007, dates for which documentary evidence is available.

Mr Hester said in September 1993, when the pension was still with Equitable Life, Hughes returned an audit enquiry signed D L Hughes, giving a Weymouth address.

He said in May 2005 she did it again, giving a Sherborne address and returned a letter confirming a change of address the following month.

In 2006 she telephoned Equitable Life because the pension had not been paid and said she was making the call for her husband as he had suffered a stroke, the court was told.

Mr Hester said after HBOS was informed of Mr Hughes’ death, she was questioned at Weymouth police station and appeared “confused and disorientated”.

She said she believed she was entitled to the money as her husband had told her she would be “all right and looked after,” the court heard.

In mitigation, Tim Shorter said Hughes had led an entirely blameless life in which administration and financial matters had been dealt with by her husband.

He said her circumstances were “quite exceptional” as a doctor had confirmed she was still suffering from a pathological grief reaction 15 years after her husband’s death and she had now been diagnosed with emphysema.

Judge Onlsow sentenced Hughes to a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

He said: “I accept during your married life you relied on your husband to deal with all financial matters.”

He added that the appropriate sentence was immediate custody but her age and the doctor’s report provided exceptional circumstances.

She was ordered to pay £5 towards costs.