Carer who stole thousands from an Nottinghamshire elderly woman is jailed

A 39-year-old woman who was stole around 11,500 from an elderly woman at a Nottinghamshire care home has been sentenced to six months in prison.

Mary Porter, of Covert Road in West Bridgford, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, January, 10, having previously pleaded guilty to theft covering a six month period from January last year.

In June last year after a member of staff was checking resident account balances and the bank card for one elderly resident was discovered missing from the safe and it transpired that Porter had taken it home which was against staff policy.

The police investigation uncovered that Porter was permitted to make withdrawals on behalf of the elderly woman who suffers from agoraphobia and severe anxiety, but had also been making unauthorised transactions.

Financial intelligence highlighted a substantial amount of cash withdrawals that had not been logged in line with agreed practice. CCTV footage was obtained showing Porter making the last eight unauthorised withdrawals using the victim’s card.

Police Investigative Officer Kieran Ward said: "We're really pleased to see this case result in a substantial jail term for Porter, following six months of gathering evidence and bringing it to court. People should never abuse their position in this way or take advantage of the elderly and vulnerable. We hope it sends a strong message out that they will get found out and held to account for their actions."