Carer Carolyn McClune jailed for stealing from the elderly

Carolyn McClune took nearly £126,000 from the bank accounts of three vulnerable pensioners

A carer who stole nearly £126,000 from three vulnerable pensioners she was looking after has been jailed.

Carolyn McClune, 60, from Redbourn, Hertfordshire, took money through a series of frauds and systematically "plundered" their bank accounts.

She was found guilty of four charges of fraud including two by abuse of position and one by false representation.

McClune was jailed at St Albans Crown Court for five years and nine months.

During her trial, the jury heard McClune, of Gertrude Peake Place, who ran her own company called Blue Bell Care, looked after an elderly St Albans' woman who had been diagnosed with dementia in August 2015.

During that time McClune transferred £88,613 she was not entitled to from the woman's account into her own.

'Bled dry'

Police were called to investigate and found she held at least 11 accounts with seven banks and as a result, two more victims were identified.

It was discovered she had moved into an address in Hatfield to become carer to another victim, an elderly widow, whose account she "bled dry" of more than £9,000.

The jury was told she also befriended an elderly vulnerable man in St Albans and took £28,000 from his pension fund in a series of transfers.

Two of the victims who lost money have since died.

Passing sentence, Judge Stephen Warner said: "You saw an opportunity which your position gave you to gain control of their finances. They were elderly, infirm and vulnerable people who trusted you.

"You exploited them for your own advantage and plundered their accounts."

McClune's barrister, Sarah Vine, said the defendant had a "bond of genuine affection for each of the victims" and loved her job but her career was now at an end.

A confiscation hearing is due to be held to see if any money can be shown to be proceeds from McClune's crimes and can therefore be seized.

It is not known what McClune did with the money she took.