YOU reported last week the case of Kathy Gibney, with myself as one of those who gave her money, when she arrived on my doorstep one blustery evening, in a state of apparently extreme distress.

While I offer my sincere sympathy to others who gave Kathy cash on the false understanding that it would be repaid, I did not expect any repayment, had weighed up the risks of my money being used as promised and do not consider myself a “victim”.

I am, however, saddened by the editorial tone of your report, and the vitriolic treatment of Kathy in the social media.

The police kept me closely informed with the progress of the case, telling me that Kathy expressed apparently genuine remorse at an early stage, and wanted to repay her misguided gains.

What Kathy did was serious, caused suffering, and had to be faced and accounted for.

However, what do we really want for such people? The chance to express our own moral outrage and to deposit anger and destruction upon them, to the point where they lose any will to reflect, reform and make good?

I believe Kathy received an appropriate punishment – to pay back the ill-gotten cash, and to serve 12 months community service. She expressed remorse again in the dock. Far worse than this for her, will have been the exposure in this paper, and the naming, shaming and baying for blood in the social media. A custodial sentence would have increased the likelihood of Kathy eventually re-offending.

I wish Kathy well as she carries out her community service, and hope that the experience is helpful in rebuilding a useful and valued life. I am sure that my friends and family (who Kathy reminded me of) who lost their lives to cancer, would share these sentiments.

ELIZABETH CAMBRAY

Cirencester