Woman admits fraud and unlawful burial of her stillborn baby

Angela Owen pleaded guilty yesterday to concealing the birth and preventing the lawful burial of the child, whose body was found in 2006 by workmen who were renovating The Howroyd in Krumlin Road, Barkisland, near Halifax.

The 46-year-old, who had rented the old servants’ quarters at the manor from January 2002 to May 2003, was not arrested until June this year following an appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch.

An inquest that had opened into the infant’s death just weeks earlier heard she used up to 30 aliases, hindering the police search for her.

Owen, who had been living in Glastonbury, Somerset, pleaded guilty yesterday to using a number of false identities in six fraud and dishonesty offences between 2002 and 2004.

She used the name Angela Hobson to obtain a Lexus Elise car by deception between November 2002 and December 2003 and to gain credit services from the Co-op Bank between October 2002 and January 2003.

Owen ran a pub in Oldham under the name Emma Smith between December 2003 and January 2004 – when she also used the name to apply for a driving licence – and in March 2003 she claimed to be Carla Geissler in a passport application.

In April 2003, Owen also made off from the Pennine Manor Hotel, in Huddersfield, without paying her £325.40 bill for accommodation, food and telephone calls.

Prosecutor Christopher Tehrani told Bradford Crown Court Owen had put forward a basis of plea that she committed the crimes as a result of domestic abuse.

“Miss Owen says that she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of a former partner and the majority of her actions were the result of his behaviour,” he said.

He said the prosecution did not accept this claim based on inquiries so far and wanted more time to investigate.

Judge Robert Bartfield agreed to adjourn the case until December 14 but also ordered a pre-sentence report on Owen, who was granted bail with conditions including an electronic tag.