Daughter stole £18,000 from her elderly mother's bank account while she was in hospital
A daughter helped herself to thousands of pounds from her mother's bank account while the pensioner was in hospital, a court heard.
Amanda Tart had been entrusted with Joan Evans' bank card and pin number but made £18,000 of unauthorised purchases.
During a six-month period in 2015 the defendant, from Telford, also took out a loan in her 75-year-old mother's name and applied for an Amigo loan putting her mother forward as a guarantor.
At Shrewsbury Crown Court Tart, 45, was given a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
But the former Greggs shop manager will deprived of her liberty overnight for the next 12 weeks having been made subject to an electronically monitored curfew.
She must also complete a rehabilitation programme and pay £5,500 compensation to the TSB bank and £500 towards the court costs.
Judge Peter Barrie told Tart she had betrayed the trust of the mother by taking her money and spending it. He rejected the suggestion that it was on 'the spur of the moment' and said it was a sustained pattern of behaviour over a six-month period.
"This was not just giving into temptation. You arranged a bank loan in your mother's name so you could take more money," he said.
Tart, of Queen Court, Madeley, had admitted a charge of fraud by abusing her position of trust as a family member and failing to safeguard Mrs Evans' interests on dates between February and September 2015.
Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said initially £27,000 was said to have been taken but there were some genuine purchases and payments on behalf of the victim.
He said that, while the defendant's figure of £18,000 was not accepted, it was difficult to be precise about the amount involved.
In addition the TSB bank had already reimbursed Mrs Evans in the sum of £21,000 and there was potential of further compensation.
Miss Caroline Harris, for Tart, said reports showed her client had issues with her adoptive parent and had been going through a divorce and had been diagnosed as bipolar.
She said it had been a relief when Tart voluntarily confessed to police and it had been a 'spending pattern' that got out of control.
Money was used for online purchases but her client had 'struggled' to fully explain her actions.
