Carer stole money from elderly man to pay for gambling, jailed
Date: 2024-09-17 Author: Robert Beloved Categories: EVENTS
Gambling addiction can lead people to illegal activities, including fraud, theft and even violence. A recent criminal case shows how a carer abused her position and powers to embezzle more than £100,000 ($132,000) from an elderly man.
The 57-year-old, from Harworth, Nottinghamshire, known as A.H., was found guilty of stealing £125,000 ($165,000) from her ward, an elderly man whose initials were L.W. and who was in his 80s. The trial took place at Nottingham Crown Court, the Daily Mail reports.
Guardian abused trust for personal gain
The woman, who suffered from a gambling addiction, was appointed as L.W.'s guardian in May 2018, giving her the power to manage his finances. Her powers lasted until her arrest in April 2021. The court heard she transferred £125,164.96 ($165,255) from the man's bank account to her own account to fund her addiction and personal expenses.
The investigation began after a friend of the elderly man noticed suspicious activity and reported it. It was discovered that a significant portion of the stolen funds had been spent on online betting and other personal expenses for the woman.
Some of the money had been obtained through three large loans taken out in the elderly man’s name. The loans were secured against his property and around £94,000 ($124,000) was transferred from his account to the defendant’s.
Sentencing
Judge Mark Watson, who handed down the sentence, emphasised that the woman had repeatedly breached the trust of her ward and appropriated a significant amount to fund her addiction. She was jailed for six years for these actions.
The judge said: “You took what you wanted, when you wanted, depriving him of his savings and even trying to get more.” He added: “This was a betrayal of the significant trust that was placed in you. You deliberately took advantage of his vulnerability.”
The victim died at the age of 86, with no savings. All of his accounts had been emptied and he was heavily in debt at the time of his death. Before his death, the man admitted agreeing to lend a small amount to his guardian to cover her personal expenses, but denied agreeing to hand over large sums.
While the defendant claimed that the man had agreed to hand over significant funds to her shortly before her arrest, he denied this, saying the money was intended solely to pay his bills and expenses.
