16th January 2017 – Financial/Neglect

A carer has been jailed for stealing more than £170,000 from a vulnerable 95-year-old pensioner. The defendant cashed 71 cheques and obtained power of attorney, giving her control over the victim’s bank accounts.

Social Services became involved after the victim was taken to West Middlesex hospital casualty department in February 2012, after visiting the victim’s home, they discovered the victim was not eating or cleaning herself properly, and had been living in substandard conditions, with no indoor heating and the roof of the house leaking.

The defendant gave more than £8,000 of the victims stolen money to her children, but police were able to recover over £130,000 from the defendant’s bank account. The defendant was convicted of three counts of theft and was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.