Shoplifting gran tried to frame postmaster couple as child abusing gun-runners after she was banned from store
A SHOPLIFTING gran tried to frame a postmaster couple as child abusing gun-runners when she was banned from their store.
Rachel McKee’s cruel web of lies led to Alan and Lisa Bolshaw’s daughter being taken out of school and questioned.
The 51-year-old made 11 fake child abuse reports and told police the couple were hiding a gun at their shop in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
McKee had been banned from Sutton General Stores and Post Office numerous times for shoplifting.
When questioned about her shameless behaviour, she tried to blame mental health issues caused by the menopause.
McKee has now been sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after she admitted perverting the cause of justice.
The gran, who has previous shoplifting convictions, was also slapped with a ten-year restraining order and blocked from posting anything on social media that relates to the couple.
This includes commenting on other people’s posts online, Chester Crown Court was told.
The smear campaign began in February last year when police showed up at the post office following a report the Bolshaws were “storing and selling firearms and drugs“.
The premises were searched but officers were unable to find anything.
Alan and Lisa, who were highly commended in the National Countryside Alliance Awards in 2019, eventually discovered McKee was behind the calls.
The gran, who had been banned from the store twice for shoplifting, also contacted social services anonymously to spread more lies.
In a victim statement, Lisa said: ”Though there was no physical injury, I do worry if I see Rachel in my local area, whether there will be verbal or physical abuse.
“I do feel vulnerable and intimidated if I see Rachel. Our daughter was impacted by being questioned at school about her worries and home life.”
McKee was arrested and initially denied any wrongdoing before eventually issuing an apology to the couple.
She told officers: “I want to say that I was upset at the Bolshaws for the way I thought they spoke to me so I reported them to social services and police about things that are not true.
“I completely made up the allegations about the daughter or that I saw them with a gun. It was simply not true.
”I have struggled to accept that I have got issues and I want to say how sorry I am to the Bolshaw family. It was very wrong.”
As well as a suspended sentence and restraining order, McKee was subjected to a night-time curfew for four months and must complete 25 rehabilitation activity days.
Sentencing McKee, Judge Simon Berkson ”The act you did caused Alan and Lisa Bolshaw, hardworking people who work in their own post office, to have to open up the post office to prove that what you were doing was lying to the police because they had no such gun.
“Neither had they done any of the other things you accused them of doing over a period of time.
“This was a type of crime that can get people into a lot of trouble and it has caused positive distress to people. It is a serious offence of its type.”