Callous pregnant carer steals £9k from elderly clients 'because everyone does'
A carer who stole more than £9,000 from elderly people claimed "everyone there was taking money", a court heard.
Elisha Handley, 33, from Druids Heath, Birmingham targeted four vulnerable victims, including one person who was blind. She carried out 63 transactions in the space of four months withdrawing money from their cards. As she gave some money to a former colleague who was in debt it was even claimed in court that there were similarities with Robin Hood.
She admitted four counts of fraud by abuse of position but she was spared immediate imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court due to her "prospect of rehabilitation", and partly because she was pregnant again - having also been so during the period of the thefts.
Handley was sentenced to 10 months suspended for 21 months. She was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, 25 days rehabilitation activity and pay £3,000 compensation to her victims. Recorder Eugene Egan said: "You took by fraud just over £9,000 from vulnerable people who trusted you. This was serious offending and it plainly crosses the custody threshold. This was mean offending and entirely borne of greed."
The offences took place between January and April 2022, reported BirminghamLive. Prosecutor Suzanne Francis said: "Ms Handley was employed as a care worker at a supported living property. It specialised in caring for vulnerable individuals with learning difficulties managing their financial affairs.
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"She was on duty and had access to their bank cards. There were times she could legitimately use the bank cards to withdraw cash to use for shopping. Withdrawals should be recorded on a transaction sheet. However an ad hoc audit revealed discrepancies between the records and bank statements. It was established Ms Handley was on duty at the time."
She stole £9,240 in total. One of her victims had severe learning difficulties, two were easily confused while another was registered blind. Ms Francis continued: "When subjected to an interview at a disciplinary hearing she denied wrong-doing. When interviewed by the police she accepted taking the money and said everyone did it."
Balbir Adris, defending, confirmed that Handley was not formally pursuing an allegation that someone else pressured her into taking the money but he said: "It was the case she suggested everyone there was taking money. It may have been the case that was going on.
"It is not something she wants to advance. The culture may well have existed but she accepts her responsibility fully. It is not being advanced others made her do it." He added: "It was like taking from Peter to give to Paul, effectively like Robin Hood in not so many ways. Some of it, not all of it."
Mr Adris confirmed Handley was currently eight weeks pregnant. He told the court she was also pregnant at the time of the offences when her then partner was in prison in Spain. Finally, the barrister argued she was "a lot more stable" now and wanted to pay money back to the victims.
Recorder Egan concluded he was "just about persuaded" to suspend the sentence. He said: "There is a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation and you can both be punished and rehabilitated in the community. Also I am almost bound to take into account you are two months pregnant."
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