Carer stole £2,000 from woman with Alzheimer’s

A PENSIONER with Alzheimer’s disease had more than £2,000 stolen from her by a carer.

Kirsty Stevenson, 47, was caring for 70-year-old Avril Andrews who was living in an assisted housing complex in Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan.

She was given a 10-month custodial sentence after admitting to the theft of £2,050 over a period of almost three weeks in November and December 2016.

The theft was discovered when Mrs Andrews’ daughter Sally Booth noticed cash was missing from her mother’s account.

Prosecutor Paul Hewitt said: “Ms Booth noticed that money was missing. She thought that something in the region of £1,500 was missing.

“She checked her mother’s house but could find no money close to that amount.

“She deduced someone may be taking money from her mother’s account.

“Police checked CCTV in Llantwit Major town centre between November 30 and December 14.”

The first occasion she went to a supermarket in Llantwit Major.

“She took £250 from her bank account and asked for £50 cash back at the supermarket. She even signed it AA. She insisted that Avril Andrews was with her and had remained in the car. She said it was under her instruction that she took the money out.”

The account showed that £300 was subsequently taken out of Mrs Andrews’ account on December 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19.

At this point officers went back to Ms Booth and she confirmed her mother had been with her on some of those occasions.

Mr Hewitt went on to say that Mrs Andrews “has cataracts” and “would not have been able to see” in the evening when some of the cash was taken out.

Defence barrister David Pinnell said Stevenson, of Leigh Close, Boverton, Vale of Glamorgan, was under enormous financial pressure and had no previous convictions.

He said: “This is an offence that is out of character and she was under enormous financial pressure.

“Before she worked for the company she had not worked for six or seven years because she was a carer for her mother.”

When sentencing Judge Patrick Curran QC told Stevenson: “You committed an offence that was an egregious breach of trust against a lady of 70 with Alzheimer’s, living alone in an assisted housing complex.

“This offence is so serious only a custodial sentence can be passed.”