A TRAGIC mother stole thousands of pounds from a vulnerable elderly woman she was caring for in a series of “mean and despicable” offences, a court heard.

Karen Best, 45, betrayed the trust of widow Jean Fairbank, using her debit card to buy things for herself, and taking pension payments.

Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday that Best had suffered recent personal tragedy with the death of a child in a road accident.

Recorder Anthony Hawks, sentencing her to nine months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, told her: “No-one can judge what effect that has had on you.”

Best, of Clapham Street, Denholme, pleaded guilty yesterday to two charges of fraud and two of theft.

Prosecutor Claire Walsh said Best cleaned for Mrs Fairbank, 81, and her husband Lennie. She was paid cash in hand. The offences seemed to occur after Mr Fairbank died in June 2013.

She said that as the complainant’s health deteriorated and her mobility became restricted, Best took on more duties, cooking, going to the shops and collecting her pension from the post office. She was given Mrs Fairbank’s debit card for that purpose.

Mrs Walsh said Best used the complainant’s bank details to purchase a £365 mobile phone contract, stole £1,603 of pension payments over eight months, used her bank account to purchase goods worth £2,520, and stole cash through withdrawals with Mrs Fairbank’s card.

The total loss to Mrs Fairbank, between July 2013 and March 2015, was just under £15,000.

Family and friends became suspicious and Mrs Fairbank’s daughter intervened by terminating the defendant’s employment. She was arrested soon after.

Mrs Walsh said: “Mrs Fairbank was reluctant to go to police about somebody she cared about, but realised other people needed to be protected from this kind of behaviour.”

Recorder Hawks said Best was of previous impeccable character but she had pleaded guilty to offences of dishonesty which were “mean and despicable” and had caused considerable disappointment and distress to Mrs Fairbank.

Sentencing her, he said: “I am quite sure you are now thoroughly ashamed of yourself. It’s plain you developed a very good relationship with Mrs Fairbank who obviously liked you.”

But he added: “You have suffered, fairly recently, a close personal tragedy in that one of your children, who survived a suspected diagnosis of cancer, was tragically killed in a multiple road traffic accident.”

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