Jailed carer who stole £11k from 100-year-old is unable to repay
A CARER who stole the life savings of a 100-year-old woman will not have to pay the money back.
Stephanie Isaacs, 62, had been a carer for 35 years and was a key worker for her victim.
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Confessed to crime: Stephanie Isaacs
However, she used the woman's credit card to withdraw £11,294 from her account over five years, taking between £50 and £300 each time.
Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Crown Prosecution Service tried to recoup the money from Isaacs by forcing her to sell her house.
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However, due to the recession, she no longer has any equity in her home and the CPS has withdrawn the proceedings.
Prosecutor Richard Thompson said: "Isaacs served a statement indicating her home was worth about £110,000 with a mortgage of £90,000. We sought a confiscation hearing in these circumstances.
"She was awaiting a further valuation of her property from estate agents and they valued it at £65,000.
"The result is that any confiscation hearings are pointless."
Judge Mark Bury, sitting at Hull Crown Court, agreed to withdraw the proceedings following confirmation Isaacs has no assets and is in negative equity.
Isaacs will not have to repay any of the stolen money now unless her financial circumstances change and the proceedings could be restarted against her.
Colleagues at Westbourn Lodge Residential Care Home in Cardigan Road, Bridlington, discovered the fraud when Isaacs phoned in sick on Christmas Day.
They noticed discrepancies in payments from the elderly woman's account and challenged Isaacs.
Hull Crown Court heard the victim had been "very fond" of Isaacs and has not been told of her betrayal for fear of how it would affect her.
Isaacs, of St Johns Walk, Bridlington, initially claimed another member of staff must have been responsible, but later admitted fraud.
Her barrister, Claire Holmes, previously said: "She has betrayed this lady who felt a great deal for her.
"She had a very extensive career as a carer before these matters happened.
"She is thoroughly ashamed of herself and is genuinely remorseful for what has happened. She was at a low point in her life.
"Since this offence came to light, she has lost the support of her husband. They have separated."
Judge David Tremberg had jailed Isaacs for 14 months in July after she confessed to her crime.
He told her: "No doubt, because of your extensive experience as a carer, you were placed in a position where you were in a high degree of trust.
"You tried to blame others and sought to foist blame on to other innocent people.
"Courts do what they can to make it clear anybody in a position of a high degree of trust who preys upon the elderly and the vulnerable for financial gain can expect little sympathy."
Comments
by mavericka
Sunday, October 28 2012, 10:27PM
“not a bad bonus £11000 for been a criminal care worker.”
by jackboo2011
Sunday, October 28 2012, 9:42PM
“another let off for a thief who stole from the most vunrable the other one had kids ,so if i rob a bank can i get away with it beacuse the cash machine had no 5 pound notes send both of them to prison”
by Chelle1962
Saturday, October 27 2012, 9:24PM
“The bank should be made to put a levvy on it for future prosperity should its value rise with interest for the ladies family. All crime should come with the penalty that recovery is not an option but will happen. I am sure if this was a prospect should you get caught that it would be a significant enough deterent. This lady did not have a conscience when she was robbing an old lady! Why should the judge or the CPS. I am sure many items were removed prior to evaluation!!!!”
by NeilTheasby
Saturday, October 27 2012, 11:23AM
“I see that Isaacs is wearing a watch in the picture. Shouldn't that be sold - along with any jewellery and white goods in her home, plus the television? Okay the court might not recoup the full £11,294 but at least a small portion of it could be retrieved. The hat, coat and dark glasses must also be worth a bob or two.”
by piddsta
Saturday, October 27 2012, 11:01AM
“Something fishy about this - no bank would give someone of that age on a care worker's salary a mortgage of that size. Not even in the crazy days before the crunch.
I hope people have confirmed her story with her lender.”
by buornfree
Saturday, October 27 2012, 8:50AM
“Then they say crime does not pay no wonder people will do it if they don't have to pay it back we must the laughing stock of Britain I bet if it was a relative of the jug they would get it back”
by ghostwriter69
Saturday, October 27 2012, 7:05AM
“@BevRoadNorth
"Seize the home, sell it and give her the balance after payment back of the cash and fine"
Didn't you read the article then? She owes £90,000 on the house and it's worth £65,000 so there won't be anything left over to give her. That will only pay off half of what she stole and she'll still owe £25,000 on the mortgage and will probably end up getting more in benefits than she's paying back.
@bewildered1
She isn't working past retirement age. The retirement age for women is gradually going up to 65 in 2015 so if she had left work she wouldn't have been able to claim a state pension anyway. BUT if she was, then she'd be getting her wages and a state pension and her family income was enough for her to get at least a £90,000 mortgage so she can't have been that badly off.”
by BevRoadNorth
Friday, October 26 2012, 11:50PM
“I see the concept of justice continues to evade the be-wigged liberals on the benches. Every penny should be repaid, plus a fine and or custodial sentence. As for the shame and remorse, do the lawyers type up those speeches from an online template or just run off a photocopy. Thieves and parasites dont suffer remorse, their response ranges from panic to irritation, when caught. Seize the home, sell it and give her the balance after payment back of the cash and fine. Why is punishment such a difficult concept to grasp in the 'justice' system?”
by GCtheDJ
Friday, October 26 2012, 11:32PM
“Terrible people in this world.”
by Demonica666
Friday, October 26 2012, 10:21PM
“Lacy = lady. Darned typo. Sorry!”