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A TRUSTED care home manager pocketed nearly £7,000 from a vulnerable resident by secretly using her bank card.

Greedy Shirley Ward was in charge of withdrawing cash for the victim’s dayto-day living expenses while she was staying at Melrose House Care Home, in Cullercoats, North Tyneside.

But, the 58-year-old soon started helping herself to the money, taking almost £7,000 over a 12-month period and hiding bank statements so her deceit wasn’t detected, a court heard.

The fraud was only uncovered when the bank account of the victim, who suffered from emphysema and asthma and needed a constant oxygen supply, was drained of funds, leaving her struggling to pay for her place in the home.

It was only after Ward was dismissed for an unrelated matter that her scam came to light and the police found the hidden bank statements and three of the victim’s bank cards, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Now, Ward, of Hartford Crescent, Bedlington, has pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position.

Jane Foley, prosecuting, said the victim had been living at Melrose House Care Home for four years when Ward started helping herself to her money in January 2015. By January the following year, Ward had taken £6,972.87.

The court was told that, as well as giving the victim her money, Ward also withdrew cash for herself and hid bank statements in a bid to cover her tracks.

Ms Foley said money also went directly out of the vulnerable woman’s account to the council to pay for her place in the care home. She added: “By October 2015, the payments to the council had stopped due to there being insufficient funds, although the complainant was not aware of that until a later date.

The court was told Ward was remorseful but the only explanation she could give was that she was suffering from depression at the time. She has since offered to pay back £75 a month. She received a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and was ordered to do 210 hours of unpaid work.