A shameful niece spared prison for stealing more than £4,000 from her vulnerable elderly uncle has been given one final chance to keep her freedom.
Linzi Elder fleeced her 78-year-old relative after he trusted her to do his shopping while he was shielding during lockdown due to having COPD and mobility problems. A court heard she did assist him but then over the space of a month, started making regularly withdrawals of cash from his account.
He only became aware of the fraud when Lloyds Bank contacted him to say he'd entered into an overdraft and when he checked his statement he noticed large sums had disappeared. Elder, 43, pleaded guilty to fraud and was given a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court last November.
