A carer who stole from elderly widow's bank account on the day of her husband's funeral has avoided a prison sentence. Margaret McPhail, 62, carried out £11,800 worth of cash withdrawals on 87-year-old Agnes Fowler's account from her home in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire.
McPhail - who cared for her neighbours - withdrew the cash between March 5, 2019 and January 21, 2020. She was snared after family members went through bank statements after Mrs Fowler's husband's death.
A transaction found to have taken place on the day of the funeral led to them uncovering further unsanctioned uses of the bank account. McPhail pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to the single charge of theft.
Sheriff Mark McGuire ordered McPhail, of Cambuslang, to pay her victim £2,500 in compensation. She was also tagged for nine months keeping her indoors between 7pm and 7am. McPhail will be under the supervision of a social worker for three years.
The court earlier heard that McPhail was a neighbour of the elderly Fowlers before becoming their carer. The widow had hidden away her husband's bank card in a cupboard.
Mr Fowler's funeral took place on January 21, 2020, around which time the bank statements were uncovered. Prosecutor Siobhan Currie said: "A transaction was made on January 21 from her late husband's bank card. This led to a further investigation with the family looking back at bank statements. They discovered unusual amounts of money being withdrawn."
Mrs Fowler contacted McPhail to tell her that she was going to go to the police. She was later visited by the thief who told her: "I think you know what I'm going to tell you, I snapped, my head is all over the place, I don't remember any of it." A police investigation uncovered that £11,800 was stolen in total.
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