Mum cleared of Perthshire murder admits conning Angus OAPs in fake baby scam

A mother cleared of a gruesome unsolved murder is behind bars after targeting vulnerable and elderly men during a lengthy campaign of theft and fraud.

Angela Newlands, 34, conned numerous victims into giving her cash for a non-existent baby and used stolen bank cards to steal hundreds of pounds.

Newlands – who also stole eight cockapoo puppies – targeted victims as old as 85.

She also faked injury to persuade people to drive her round after clambering uninvited into their cars, before robbing them and using their bank cards.

Newlands has been remanded in custody after admitting 17 separate offences around Forfar and Kirriemuir between August 29 2022 and May 11 2024.

She has been warned she faces a significant prison sentence.

Retired cop amongst victims

Five years ago Newlands was cleared of the murder of 22-year-old Annalise Johnstone.

Johnstone’s brother – who admitted dumping the body at a witch’s monument – and his then girlfriend Newlands were cleared of the killing at the High Court in Livingston.

Newlands appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court via video link from Grampian Prison to admit a series of crimes of dishonesty and admitted she expected to be jailed.

Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, said: “She has had a period of imprisonment before and is over 25, so she doesn’t expect anything but a significant custodial sentence.”

No motion for bail was made and she was remanded in custody pending the preparation of social work reports and a detailed proposal for post-custody supervision.

Full details of her crimes will be narrated at her next appearance, but it is understood she approached a number of men and gave them false names to hide her past.

She convinced one man to initially give her £10 by claiming she needed it for milk and nappies for her newborn baby. However, no such baby existed.

She targeted the man for money every time she met him and he had given her around £400 by the time he discovered her real identity.

An 85-year-old man and 80-year-old retired police officer were among her other victims, while she duped a 74-year-old man into driving her round to use the bank card he was unaware she had stolen from him a short time beforehand.

The spree started in August 2022 when Newlands broke into a caravan and stole £100 cash and a purse, bank cards and a driver’s licence.

She stole eight young dogs from a kennel attached to the caravan.

Acquitted at murder trial

Annalise Johnstone’s body was found dumped at the Maggie Wall’s Witch Monument in Dunning, Perthshire in May 2018. Her throat had been cut.

Newlands, who has at least five children, was cleared of the murder after a judge at the High Court ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict her.

Jordan Johnstone – who admitted carrying his dead sister’s body for two miles and dumping her by a roadside – was also cleared of murder after a not proven verdict.

When he gave evidence after Newlands was cleared, Johnstone blamed her for the killing and told the jury she had blackmailed him into covering it up.

He said Newlands cut his sister’s throat with a Stanley knife.

He told the court he had stayed in the car with Newlands’ sleeping children.

He said he later carried his sister’s body for around 40 minutes before dumping it behind a wall two miles away because he feared Newlands’ father was going to “chop my wee sister up and throw her away”.

The prosecution and defence had confirmed Mr Johnstone’s car was near the memorial at the time Miss Johnstone was attacked. The investigation remains open.

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