Greedy Torquay carer took £20,000 from mum's elderly friend

ATM withdrawal
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A greedy carer defrauded an elderly woman - who trusted her to buy shopping - out of more than £20,000. Dishonest Yvonne West regularly helped herself to cash from the victim's bank account, a court heard. It is not clear how much she will be able to pay back.

She was finally unmasked when the victim's nephew saw a statement showing withdrawals of £500. West was particularly active in the run up to Christmas.

An investigation revealed she had spent the money buying items from shopping channels. West, aged 69, has been given a suspended sentence at Exeter Crown Court, meaning she has been spared being sent to jail. The judge said she had lost her good name and proceedings would start to assess if she could repay the money.

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Zoe Kuyken, prosecuting, said the victim, aged in her 90s, was a friend of West's mother. There was an agreement she could use her card and withdraw £60 a week for shopping and other services.

In 2023, the elderly woman's nephew noticed several withdrawals of £500. He confronted West who handed over the card.

A probe revealed West had started dipping into the account in 2018 and increased with withdrawals over time. Over a 13-day period in December 2021 she helped herself to £1,360. The amount of stolen money was over £20,000, said the prosecutor.

West, of Upton Road, Torquay, has no previous convictions. Paul Dentith, mitigating, said she had not set out to steal. She is single and looks after her own elderly mum. She pleaded guilty to fraud.

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Judge Davis Evans said: "You saw an opportunity to take money from someone who was especially vulnerable to being exploited in that way. Although your involvement with her finances may have started as a legitimate way to help, over a sustained period of time up until your unmasking you repeatedly took money from her using her bank card."

He said the victim will spend her final years knowing she was the victim of fraud. West was given a two-year suspended sentence.