A callous couple who posed as carers to con a 96-year-old war hero out of nearly £200,000 from his life savings have been jailed.
Steven Kantecki, 43, and his wife Sarah, 39, stole £196,000 from the pensioner in less than a year and splashed out on a lavish lifestyle.
Hull Crown Court heard how the cunning duo manipulated the unsuspecting former soldier and made him believe he could trust them as they were his carers.
The couple's offending took place between April 1, 2019 and September 8 last year, the court was told.
The deceitful duo splurged on designer clothes and watches before they were caught.
When the thefts came to light the couple attempted to use ‘emotional blackmail’ to stop the pensioner from pushing the allegations further.
Tragically, the pensioner died just a few months later.
The pair denied theft, but were found guilty following a trial.
Sarah Kantecki was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
They were jailed for a total of nine years and six months.
Detective Sergeant David Porteus said: “The only place the Kantecki’s deserve to be is behind bars, so today’s sentencing is welcomed.
“Fraud can be an extremely distressing offence to become a victim of, especially when the level of offending is of this magnitude.
“I hope that today’s result will provide the victim’s family with some comfort in knowing that they can no longer cause harm to vulnerable people in the community.
“Sometimes people may feel embarrassed that they fell for a ‘scam’ and choose not to report fraud or seek advice about it.
“Please remember that anyone can be a victim of fraud. Fraudsters constantly reinvent themselves to find new ways of tricking people.”
