Malc, that is an extremely ignorant and insensitive post, and you should be ashamed. This is far from the first time I've had problems with your posts, and I really think the mod team should be reviewing that "Man of Honour" status.
richy, I feel for you there! That's a horrible situation to be in. Did you actually tell her you'd read the e-mails?
Maybe you should try to confront her again about it, but be as blunt as possible (e.g. "You don't really have a VW Beetle, do you?" It may be worth speaking to a professional about her condition and getting some info online etc about the best way to deal with it.