And finally…Fraud of the gravest kind -women forges ex-husband’s signature to flog grave plot

William and Jillian Keahey bought an £850 double plot at Sutton Cemetery, south-east London, 10 years ago, so they could be buried side by side.

But after splitting in 2009, and Jillian, 66, who chose to keep her married name, decided that she could live without the plot and sold it back to Sutton Borough Council, without telling William.

The authority, which owns the 19th century cemetery, bought the berth for £2,000, Redhill Magistrates Court was told.

The court heard how the couple shared the £850 cost of the double plot in 2005, but that the price of the plot had ‘increased substantially’ and was now worth even more and was valued at over £4,000.

The court heard how Mr Keahey only found out about his plot being sold off when his former brother-in-law phoned him up and told him that ‘someone else’ was buried in his grave.

Mr Keahey raced round to the cemetery and found that a gravestone had already been placed in the space reserved for him.

William, 57, said: “My ex brother-in-law said, ‘I think someone’s buried in your plot’.

“I couldn’t believe it and then I found out that Jillian had forged my signature.”

He told reporters: “At court she treated it like it wasn’t anything that was at all serious and seemed to think it was all funny.

“Her face dropped when the judge said that she had to pay me thousands for a new plot.

“It was just unbelievable that she thought that she could get away with it.”

It is believed Mrs Keahey sold the plot for around £2,000 six year ago.

He is now looking to buy a new plot at the cemetery.

Jillian, who now lives in West Sussex, admitted fraud to the court.

She was ordered to pay her ex compensation based on the current value of a plot.