Two women have been jailed for defrauding and laundering more than £634,000 from estates of the deceased, including money intended for life-saving charities such as Cancer Research and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Laurna Porter was a probate manager at two firms of solicitors, during the period that she defrauded the will beneficiaries. Many of the cheques were paid into the account of her friend Julie Atkins, with a portion of this money later transferred back to Ms ...