Woman stole from her elderly mother
A woman who embezzled thousands of pounds from her adoptive mother rather than pay the dementia sufferer’s care home costs was described as ‘a total moral bankrupt’.
Alison Macdonald had admitted embezzling the cash at various locations in Inverness, Alness and Oban while having power of attorney (PoA) for Mrs Margaret Mackinnon.
But although 56-yearold Alison Macdonald was ordered by a sheriff to repay £4,000, the money is expected to be returned to her as she and her family are beneficiaries of the late 89-year-old Margaret Mackinnon’s will.
Macdonald escaped a jail sentence but was ordered to carry out 260 hours of unpaid community work by Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood at Inverness Sheriff Court on Friday February 15.
He told her: ‘It was difficult to reach a view on the appropriate sentence – the difficulty being separating the level of criminality from your total moral bankruptcy.
‘Any recovery of the money would go to her mother’s estate and then go to the family so a compensation order would be circular. Frankly, it leaves me appalled that you took your mother’s money rather than pay her care home costs.’
Sentence had been deferred on Macdonald, of Stewart Court, Culloden, near Inverness, last month for a background report.
The court had been told that Mrs Mackinnon’s money was spent on Macdonald’s bills, restaurants and shopping, as well as helping her daughter’s debts, over a 19-month period.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood heard that Macdonald had been appointed PoA in July 2010 for her elderly mother’s affairs before she was taken into the Eadar Glinn care home in Oban in December that year.
The court heard an investigation was launched when Macdonald avoided paying the care home bills.
In February 2012, Macdonald’s power of attorney was revoked at Oban Sheriff Court after the Office of the Public Guardian launched an inquiry. A solicitor was appointed to administer Mrs Mackinnon’s finances until she died in February 2014.
During the 19-month period, Macdonald had been making regular cash withdrawals of £200, transferring large sums into her own account, as well as paying for goods and services.
In April 2013, Macdonald was declared bankrupt but was discharged a year later.
After a police inquiry, Macdonald was charged. She told police: ‘Before I knew, the money had gone. There should still be £10,000 there of my mother’s money.’
Her solicitor advocate Shahid Latif said: ‘The offences were committed during a period where there was a slow fuse disintegration of her personal circumstances.
‘She didn’t properly understand the demands that would be imposed upon her, plus there were a number of personal tragedies in her life.’
Mr Latif said Macdonald’s father had died, her son was ill and her daughter was in financial trouble. ‘The majority of the money was spent not on herself but on others.’