Workington carer jailed after conning housebound pensioner

Paula Crickett was jailed for three years after admitting fraud charges

A carer who fleeced a housebound woman out of almost £21,000, taking out loans in her name and changing a combination code for a safe, has been jailed.

Paula Crickett even named herself next of kin, stopping the victim's daughter from checking on her in hospital.

The 78-year-old, who had suffered a stroke, warned another daughter her carer was "getting away with murder".

Crickett, 49, of Salterbeck, Workington, admitted 16 fraud charges and was sentenced to three years.

The court heard the funds were obtained between March 2018 and May 2019.

Crickett initially denied wrongdoing and claimed she acted with the pensioner's consent, seeking to point the finger at her family, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

'Impersonated victim on phone'

The woman suffered a stroke in 2012, lived alone, and had been assisted by agency workers who would visit her several times a day.

She remained in control of her finances, paid her own bills and kept a bank card with her.

Crickett helped the woman with financial affairs and shopping when she became a carer, before taking sole charge of her care.

One of the woman's daughters discovered a combination for her mother's safe had been changed, and a post box put up on an outside wall. 

When her mother was admitted to hospital, the daughter was refused information on her condition and told by staff Crickett was named as her next of kin.

Relatives found loan correspondence in the post box which the pensioner knew nothing about and personal paperwork missing.

One heard Crickett make reference to the victim's life insurance policy being missing, the court was told.

Another daughter, who visited her mother in May 2019, said she was "in distress, crying and waving her good arm around."

"She said the defendant was using her name to buy things and she was getting away with murder," prosecutor Mark Brookes said.

The court was told she had taken out credit cards, set up an email address and applied for loans in the victim's name.

She called a store card company pretending to be the victim, police said.

Crickett had also set up online banking which allowed her to make a series of dishonest withdrawals and bought a holiday for her son.

Defending, Judith McCullough, said Crickett "bitterly regrets" her actions.

Judge David Swinnerton, who noted Crickett had described the victim as a friend, said: "But you were to take advantage of her in a quite disgraceful way, and a way you should be ashamed of, a way I accept you are ashamed of.

"This was clearly an abuse of a position of trust and responsibility."