A callous woman fraudulently used her seriously ill grandmother's bank card while she was living in a care home.
The elderly victim lacked capacity and didn't have control of her finances when she was targeted by her own granddaughter for the second time in a decade. A court heard Kent used the pensioner's bank card without permission to buy goods online over a two-month period.
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In total, the 40-year-old spent £276 before her devious scheme was uncovered when the transactions were spotted on the victim's bank statement. Kent, of Girven Terrace, in Easington Lane, Sunderland, was arrested but initially denied one count of fraud. However, on the day her trial was due to start, she changed her plea.
And it was that guilty plea that prevented the crook from being handed a custodial sentence. Giving her an 18-month community order, Recorder Harry Vann said: "Your grandmother has no capacity - a fact you took advantage of in order to defraud her to the sum of £276.
"This was not the first time she had been your victim. She was previously in 2009. Those previous convictions are matters, which significantly aggravate this offence. It's the status of the victim as your grandmother, which impacts where your sentencing lies. Because of her lack of capacity, one of the sadnesses is that I have no victim impact statement from her."
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Kent used the victim's bank card on a number of occasions between October 20 2019 and December 23 2019. Penny Hall, prosecuting, said the pensioner was in a care home and, due to her lack of capacity, a Deprivation of Liberty Order was made in November 2019.
Ms Hall continued: "She, therefore, didn't have control of her finances. A theft from her bank account, or money going from her bank account, was discovered in December 2019 and that led to the discovery of items, which had been paid for online by the defendant using [the victim's] bank card details."
The court heard that most of the transactions had been made in Kent's name, so they were easily traceable back to her. She was arrested and interviewed but denied the offences.
Ms Hall said that Kent had five offences on her record, including offences of fraud from 2009, which involved the same victim. She also had a caution for possessing forgery equipment from 2007.
John Crawford, defending, said Kent had a number of health issues and had dental operations scheduled for the near future. He added: "There has been no offending since this."
Kent was also fined £125 and must complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.
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