Shropshire man crept in to steal £4,600 from sick mother while she slept with hearing aids out
A Shropshire man stole more than £4,600 from his sick mother by creeping into her house at night and taking her bank card while she slept with her hearing aids taken out, a court was told.
Ian Richard Wall, 36, of High Street, Highley, near Bridgnorth, admitted two charges of stealing £2,308 from his mother when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday.
The chairman of the bench, Mrs Christine Grain, told Wall he had stolen "from a disabled and vulnerable victim and family member".
She said: "It was a substantial amount of money and the offences were in breach of trust."
The charges covered a number of cash withdrawals made with her card between January 9, 2013, and September 13, 2014, and between December 22, 2014, and February 2. Two other charges were withdrawn.
Jenny Winzor prosecuting, said Wall had been a carer for his mother who also lives in Highley. He had been given permission to use her bank card to withdraw sums of around £200 a month on her behalf.
Wall was given 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months for both offences. He was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and an £80 victim surcharge.
Magistrates heard that just after Christmas the victim noticed on her bank statement that a large amount had gone out of her account and quizzed her son about it. He told her it was Christmas and she had been spending more than she was aware of.
However, the victim realised that thefts must have been carried out by her son, Mrs Winzor told the court. Wall was brought to his mother's house by his father and confessed to taking the money.
When interviewed by police, Wall accepted that he had entered the house while his mother had been sleeping without her hearing aids, said Mrs Winzor. Wall would return the card once he had used it.
Mrs Winzor said Wall's family believed that he had a problem with drugs, something that the defendant continued to deny. He had, however, managed to spend all the money he had taken. She said that his mother did not want the money back.
For Wall, Shakeel Ahmed said that he continued to care for his mother but had been banned from dealing with finances.
Wall regretted his actions, he added.
