A CARER has been found guilty of stealing thousands of pounds from a severely disabled elderly man.

Loretta Daly, 51, was convicted of one count of theft and one count of fraud and is the second person to be prosecuted for stealing from the victim.

In March, Stephen Benbow, 54, who worked as a handyman for the victim was also convicted of one count of fraud.

The 83-year-old victim, who lives in Uxbridge, from multiple disabilities. He is partially sighted, suffers partial deafness and has restricted mobility making him wheelchair bound.

In 2007, Daly had been introduced to the victim in a café and she subsequently befriended him and offered her services as a carer, which he accepted.

She soon became aware that the victim was being deceived by Mr Benbow and after gaining the victim’s trust and confidence, she perpetrated a series of frauds using his bank cards over many months, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

CPS London lawyer Aalapi Mehta said: "Loretta Daly seriously abused the trust and confidence placed in her when she was allowed into the home of an extremely vulnerable and dependent person.

"The victim believed that Daly had borrowed his bank card to pay for her son’s car insurance but it was discovered that she had defrauded him of several thousands of pounds.

"She has used his bank card in a catalogue of unauthorised transactions to purchase goods such as women’s designer clothes, women’s underwear and alcohol.

"She also used the bank card to obtain a variety of services such as limousine hire, car petrol and car insurance.

"These offences represent the systematic defrauding of an elderly and extremely infirm victim who placed his complete trust and faith in Loretta Daly so shortly after he had been defrauded by Mr Benbow, of which Daly was well aware.

"As the victim’s carer Daly was in a position of trust and she abused that trust by perpetrating these frauds over a prolonged period."

Daly was convicted on July 24 and she will be sentenced on October 1.


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