A mum-of-two, who stole more than £45,000 from her dementia-suffering grandma, has avoided jail.
Carrie Chadwick plundered Kathleen Lancaster's funds over a two-and-a-half year period and blew it on gambling websites, takeaways and shopping. The 41-year-old's 'despicable' deceit was eventually uncovered when her elderly grandmother was kicked out of her Wigan care home, because her top-up fees had not been paid.
Chadwick was given 'unfettered' access to Mrs Lancaster's bank accounts, shortly after she was diagnosed with dementia in May 2016, prosecution barrister Philip Hall told Bolton Crown Court. At that time, Mrs Lancaster lived in a council house and Chadwick was trusted by her family to pay bills and keep the kitchen stocked with food.
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Mrs Lancaster had more than £950 going into her bank every single month but on a number of occasions, her Virgin phone line and television were cut off after non-payment of bills. In early 2018, Mrs Lancaster had to move to Montrose Hall Care Home, after a fall, and Chadwick was in charge of paying £60 per week in top-up fees, using money from Mrs Lancaster's accounts.
Mr Hall said: "Kathleen’s care home fees account fell into the arrears because the defendant failed to pay the fees on her behalf. The care home made attempts to resolve the issues but to no avail.
“The defendant attended a meeting with a care home manager where she explained she was having personal problems and she could not afford to pay the arrears. She offered to pay an extra £10 a month to clear the debt, she paid one further sum and then defaulted on the agreement.
“The Crown say the defendant could not pay the money because she had spent it on herself. The care home eventually had no option but to serve notice of eviction on Kathleen for non-payment of fees."
When Mrs Lancaster's grandson Adam Dawber picked her up to take her to new care home The Oaks he noticed "her slippers were falling apart, she had hardly any clothes, no dressing gown or socks and only a handful of underwear".
Mr Dawber confronted Chadwick about the money and she admitted that she had spent it. Examination of Mrs Lancaster's bank accounts revealed that more than £3,700 of the money was spent on gambling websites such as Betfred, Ladbrokes, Sky Bet and Tombola.
On one occasion, in April 2018, Chadwick won £5,400. Instead of using it to pay her grandma back, she bought a car. Other transactions made from the bank accounts during the two-and-half-year period including payments to Sports Direct, The Perfume Shop, and Just Eat.
In a victim personal statement, Mr Dawber described Chadwick as 'pure evil'. He added: “This is truly despicable, evil and unforgiveable.
"We, as a family, are still grieving but are also very much angry and upset at the fact that Carrie could steal thousands of pounds off gran without a second thought. Leave her sat in a chair staring at a TV with a Virgin Media banner across the screen as she did not pay gran's bills, left her without a phone as the bills weren't paid, leaving gran more vulnerable as she couldn't ring for help.
"As a family Carrie has caused so much heartbreak its unreal. She has shown no remorse.
“Everything that Carrie Chadwick caused this family cannot be forgiven ever, we are heartbroken for what gran had to endure at an age she should have been happy and safe. Instead she was treated badly and robbed off the very person she trusted the most."
Mrs Lancaster died in June of last year. Chadwick, of Alder Avenue, Pemberton, pleaded guilty to theft from a person.
Defending, Rebecca Smith told the court that Chadwick is a single mother to twins, aged 13. Ms Smith said that one of the children has a 'genetic disorder' and the other suffers from mental health difficulties.
She added that Chadwick is 'genuinely remorseful' and said that she only learned that Mrs Lancaster had passed away during her police interview. " Ms Chadwick has to live with the devastating consequences of what followed from her taking money from her grandmother," Ms Smith said.
"What haunts her to this day is that until she was interviewed by police, she wasn’t aware of her grandmother’s death and she didn’t have the opportunity to apologise or say goodbye, she does that today through me."
The Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh told Chadwick that she had 'escaped going to prison immediately by the skin of her teeth' as he sentenced her to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years. He said that the decision was "influenced by caring responsibilities to two vulnerable children".
He added: "On any view, this was a mean and despicable offence, committed against your vulnerable grandmother."
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