Care stole �7,000 from 78-year-old Cambs man

A WOMAN stole �7,000 from an elderly man who had hired her as a carer.

Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court was told that Lovinia Smith saw the 78-year-old from Earith putting up an advert in a local shop, asking for a carer to help him with everyday chores and shopping.

She approached the man in the store and offered her services, the court was told.

Over four and a half months, up until to June 19 of this year, the 22-year-old spent the man’s money buying children’s clothing, toys and shoes as well as a pink Blackberry mobile phone.

Many of the purchases were through an eBay account she set up, using the man’s funds.

Smith, of Kent Road, Huntingdon, also used the man’s debit card to withdraw money, paid to top up her mobile phone credit on Vodafone, purchased broadband with telecommunication company 3 and signed up to a subscription to the online film streaming site, Netflix.

She even paid for her partner’s driving test, although she later had to pay that back herself otherwise the driving licence would have been revoked.

Magistrates were told Smith was caught when a direct debit was discovered on the man’s bank statement.

John Nooijen, prosecuting, said Smith knew she didn’t have the money to pay for the items or realise how much money she had spent. He added when she was re-interviewed by police on October 8, she admitted she was behind the spending spree.

Smith admitted fraud by false representation to an unknown amount, thought to be around �7,000, on Thursday (November 29).

She was committed to crown court for sentencing at a later date.