A fraudster has to flog her car to pay back what she stole from a care home resident who was aged 95. Heartless Alison Hunter, a gambling addict, had used the victim's bank account to spend online without his knowledge when she was his carer at a Derbyshire residential home.
She then told the police he had full knowledge of what she was spending his money on when she was arrested, reports Derbyshire Live. Handing her a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, at that hearing, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: "What you did was despicable, there's no doubt about that. You have had a dreadful life as a young person and that led you to become a gambling addict and against the background of that addiction you committed the offence you have now pleaded guilty to".
Plans were put in motion to claw back the cash, and now a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Derby Crown Court has been told Hunter only has her motor to her name - with an estimated value of £1,600 at the most. As that is her only asset, the 47-year-old must now put it on the market and has three months to find a buyer or she could face further punishment.
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Judge Smith found that the "benefit figure" - how much Hunter made from her illegal activity - was £8,840. The prosecution say her car is worth £1,600 - but the defence estimates it to be £600.
The Proceeds of Crime Act (or POCA) allows the police to apply for cash to be seized from criminals who have made their money from ill-gotten gains. It is typically used after drug dealers have been sentenced and can see criminals forced to sell properties, cars or jewellery that belong to them to pay the cash back.
Importantly, if a convicted criminal comes into money later in life which he or she does not currently have, police can still apply to have that seized.
Leanne Summers, prosecuting in October, said the victim was living at Normanton Lodge Care Home, in Alfreton, which is run by a provider called My Care Ltd and had been there for six years. She said between July 2019 and November 2020, the defendant took almost £9,000 of his savings.
The prosecutor said the police became involved in January 2021 when his Power of Attorney contacted them to say that large sums of money were missing from his bank account.
Miss Summers said: "She worked there as his carer and provided care for him. He gave her his permission to use his bank card, which he kept in a safe at the home, to get his shopping.
"But he later mistrusted her because she became reluctant to let him have the card back. He went to take the card from the safe where it was kept but it was not there.
"He told the police he did not give her permission to use the bank card for anything other than to buy his shopping. He said he stopped receiving bank statements and so did not know what was taken."
Hunter, of Coronation Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty to fraud.
Raglan Ashton, mitigating, said his client had worked in the care system from 2009 until she entered her guilty plea and she was dismissed. He said: "Her addiction is to online gambling."
Mr Ashton said she is now using a support system to help control her addiction. As part of the suspended sentence, Judge Smith ordered Hunter to attend 15 rehabilitation days with the probation service.
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