A care worker stole more than £90,000 from three elderly clients she was supposed to be looking after.
Karen Kersey-Smith stole money from the bank accounts of three vulnerable old people in Ellesmere Port and splurged the cash in supermarkets and shops.
The 49-year-old was convicted of three counts of theft at Chester Crown Court and sentenced to 28 months on 4 June 2020, but has now also been ordered to pay back the thousands she took by selling her house.
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Kersey-Smith, of Wheat Close in Gwersyllt in Wrexham, withdrew money from their bank accounts without their knowledge or permission between November 2015 to September 2017.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: "The offences came to light after Kersey-Smith allegedly confessed to her manager that she had been stealing from one of her clients.
"The money was found to have been withdrawn from the victims at an alarming rate.
"It was being used in supermarkets and stores that the victims would not have been visiting."
They added: "Police uncovered £15,500 in Kersey-Smith’s bank account and an investigation found that she had an equity share of her home.
"Kersey-Smith was also suspected to have purposefully omitted her name from the title deed in order to avoid confiscation proceedings.
"The court ordered Kersey-Smith to repay £80,415 from the sale of her house."
Detective Inspector Kelly-Ann Cain, from Cheshire Constabulary's Economic Crime Unit, said: “Kersey-Smith was jailed for exploiting her position as a care worker for Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) by stealing a total of over £90,000 from the bank accounts of three elderly victims.
“A lengthy investigation set about trying to recover as much money for the victims as possible.
“Officers successfully argued that Kersey-Smith had an equity share of the marital home and it was suspected she had purposefully omitted her name from title deed to avoid confiscation proceedings.
“Kersey-Smith was subsequently ordered to repay all available funds, which has caused the sale of her house.
“As a result, £80,415 will be paid back to the victims.
“This is a fantastic result for the victims with Kersey-Smith being made to pay back the proceeds of her crimes.”
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