A cunning carer who fleeced a vulnerable pensioner over many months, buying a holiday and changing her victim’s safe combination in the process, has been jailed for three years.
Carlisle Crown Court heard Paula Crickett’s 78-year-old victim suffered a stroke in 2012, lived alone, was housebound and had been assisted by agency workers who would visit her several times a day. Despite disabilities, the woman was always in control of her finances, paid her own bills and kept bank card with her.
Crickett, 49, of Pearl Road, Salterbeck, Workington, became one of her carers, helping the woman with financial affairs and shopping. She later took sole charge of her care.
However, one of the woman’s daughters discovered a combination for her mother’s safe had been changed, and a post box erected on an external wall.
But when her mother was admitted to hospital, the daughter was then refused information on her condition and told by nursing staff Crickett was named as her next of kin.
Relatives also found loan correspondence in the post box which the pensioner knew nothing about, that some personal paperwork could not be found and one heard Crickett make reference to the victim’s life insurance policy being missing.
Another daughter visited her mother in May 2019.
“She was in distress, crying and waving her good arm around,” said Mark Brookes, prosecuting. “She said the defendant was using her name to buy things and she was getting away with murder.”
It emerged Crickett had dishonestly obtained almost £21,000 between March, 2018, and May, 2019.
She had taken out credit cards, set up an email address and applied for loans in the unsuspecting woman’s name; set up online banking which allowed her to make a series of dishonest withdrawals; bought a £600 holiday; and made credit card repayments with the victim’s own cash.
Initially Crickett denied wrongdoing, claiming she acted with the pensioner’s consent and also sought to point the finger at her family.
She later admitted 16 fraud charges, and was sentenced today.
In an impact statement, one of the victim’s daughters spoke of their family being devastated by the crime, adding of Crickett: “She had a duty of care to look after mum, who was vulnerable.”
Crickett’s barrister, Judith McCullough, said: “These are actions which she bitterly regrets.”
But she was jailed for three years by Judge David Swinnerton, who noted Crickett had described the victim as a friend.
“But you were to take advantage of her in a quite disgraceful way, and a way you should be ashamed of; a way I accept you are ashamed of,” said the judge. “This was clearly an abuse of a position of trust and responsibility.”
