Workington carer spent nearly £9,000 on elderly resident's bank card

Lauren Walker, 30, fraudulently used a bank card belonging to Shirley Burford, spending a total of £8,646.09 in Cumbria and Blackpool between July 9 and November 20 last year.

Workington Magistrates’ Court heard that the defendant was a senior care worker at G-Care, where the elderly victim was a resident.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the victim’s son, Richard, who has power of attorney, had checked her bank accounts and noticed suspicious transactions.

His mother had not left the address since before Covid and a number of transactions had been made in Workington.

Her son had contacted the Cumberland Building Society to inform them of the fraudulent activity. The matter was then reported to the police.

Walker denied theft of the bank card and said the victim had given it to her. She admitted that she had first used the bank card to buy things for the victim.

A list of items were put to Walker, and having admitted making the transactions, she said she had been “greedy” and “an idiot”.

The defendant said she had used cash withdrawals to pay off debts on her ex-partner’s car.

She said the only items she had were various clothes from Primark, Sports Direct, and others.

Walker said she had also used the money to buy perishable items such as food and cigarettes, which she no longer had.

Ms Fee described the offending as “abuse of a position of trust” involving a victim who was “particularly vulnerable”, had power of attorney and was unable to go out of the house.

Ms Fee said the offence was outside of magistrates’ sentencing powers.

John Cooper, defending, agreed that the case should be sent to crown court for sentence.

Walker, of Eskdale Crescent, Workington, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation.  

She will be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on December 20. She was granted unconditional bail until her next court appearance.

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