A SOUTH Devon woman who stole £40,000 from her cousin and then hatched a bizarre plot involving a call girl, a bogus priest, a sawn-off shot gun and heroin to stop him giving evidence against her has been jailed for four years. Carole Penfold, aged 45, w

A SOUTH Devon woman who stole £40,000 from her cousin and then hatched a bizarre plot involving a call girl, a bogus priest, a sawn-off shot gun and heroin to stop him giving evidence against her has been jailed for four years. Carole Penfold, aged 45, was let out on bail to come up with the money to compensate Eddie Goodwin, who lives in a caravan at Batch Nurseries, Rectory Way, Lympsham.She was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Friday when Judge Graham Cottle told her: "What you did to your victim was about as mean as it gets."You stole £40,000 from a very simple man who had led an uncomplicated life and wished to carry on doing so."You forced him to sell land he did not want to sell, setting up the offence of theft. No sooner had you stolen the money than you used much of it to buy a Porsche Boxster car." During the trial the jury heard how Penfold tried to stop Mr Goodwin giving evidence against her after she was charged with theft.She enlisted the help of a call girl and a bogus priest who were told to go to the Anchor Inn in Bleadon and see if Mr Goodwin would admit he was lying about the theft of the money.After the plan failed Penfold planted a sawn off shotgun, some cartridges and heroin in Mr Goodwin's caravan in Lympsham, then made an anonymous call to tip off the police.Penfold, of Meadowcroft Drive, Kingsteignton, pleaded not guilty to theft of the £40,000, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, two charges of perverting the course of justice and two of obtaining services by deception. She was convicted by the jury on all of the charges after a 19 day trial.