'No concerns' over pensioner's mental state, £9,000 Shropshire theft trial told
A GP and a solicitor both said they had "no concerns" over the mental health of a pensioner at the time she made statements to police alleging her grandson and his wife had stolen thousands from her.
Moira Griffiths, 86, told police two years ago that Richard and Lorraine Griffiths, from Wem, had cleaned out her bank account without consent.
The couple are on trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court accused of stealing at least £9,000 from Mrs Griffiths on various dates between December 2012 and January 2014.
Richard Griffiths, 35, and Lorraine Griffiths, 33, of Cordwell Park, both deny the charges, saying Mrs Griffiths had loaned them the money to pay off debts.
They say she had forgotten about the agreement because she was suffering with dementia.
After their arrest in February, 2014, the pair admitted taking the money, but said they had been given it as loans which they would repay.
The jury was told that Mrs Griffiths' health and understanding had diminished since the alleged offences were reported to police and she was not well enough to attend court.
But giving evidence yesterday, Mrs Griffiths' GP, Dr Elizabeth Fenley, said she had no concerns about the pensioner's memory until five months after the statements to police.
Dr Fenley said she had scored a "good" 28 out of 30 in a memory assessment in May 2013.
She said she saw Mrs Griffiths in January 2014 because she was unwell with a breathing problem but again had no concerns about her mental health. That changed in July 2014, the doctor told the court, when she scored poorly on a different memory assessment.
Mrs Griffiths was diagnosed with dementia in December 2014, Dr Fenley told the court.
When asked how the pensioner was now, Dr Fenley said she still could dress herself and was affable in conversation.
"But she would not be able to tell you what month it was, what year it was, or what she had done that morning or yesterday," Dr Fenley added.
Solicitor Sian Maund said she had seen Mrs Griffiths in February and March 2014. Mrs Maund was asked by prosecutor Mr Mohammad Hafeez: "Did you have any concerns about Mrs Griffiths' mental capacity?" She replied: "I didn't have any concerns,"
The trial continues.
