£26k con mother is spared prison

AN OLDHAM mum who conned a vulnerable pensioner out of £26,000 of her savings while acting as her paid carer, has been given a suspended two-year prison sentence.

Over six months, Sarah Last wrote out nine cheques from the 96-year-old to herself, getting her to sign each of them.

Her victim, Marjorie Lowe died some months later without even knowing that her money had been stolen, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court was told.

Police were called in by her son after he became alarmed at the withdrawals for sums between £2,000 and £3,500 from her bank account.

The court was told that Last who worked for a local care company, had had mental health issues, and a "pathological" gambling habit which led to her taking the cash.

Sentencing, Judge Maurice Greene told her: "These issues together did affect your behaviour and led to some extent to you behaving the way you did. It is an explanation, but not justification however."

Last, who pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by abuse of her position, was told her offending could only justify a custodial sentence, but the judge said he felt able to suspend the two-year term for two years because of an unusual number of mitigating factors including the fact that she was the sole carer for her 13-year old son.

Nicola Wells, prosecuting, had told the court that Mrs Lowe had been one of five elderly people whose care had been entrusted to Sarah Last.

She lived in sheltered accommodation, and was given regular help with day to day chores and washing.

Mrs Lowe was described as a particularly vulnerable and lonely pensioner, with mobility problems, poor eyesight and hearing, who suffered short-term memory loss and easily became confused.

She could no longer live alone after a fall last September, and she spent the remaining months of her life living with her son in Scotland.

In a statement to police, he said his mother had worked all her life, mainly as a shop assistant, and saved money for her retirement.

He said she died without realising she had been a victim of such a "disgusting" crime, and he was sickened by what had happened.

After being arrested, Last, of Providence House, Huddersfield Road, Oldham, accepted what she had done, but claimed Mrs Lowe had offered to give her money when told she was in difficulties.

Katherine Pierpoint, defending, said her client had been highly thought of by her employers and people she cared for, including Mrs Lowe.

She was a person of previous good character, and was unlikely to ever again appear in a court.

She said she did not seek to blame anyone else and was now doing everything possible to deal with her problems, including regular visits to Gamblers Anonymous.