Carer who stole £28k from pensioner ordered to repay £920

That was the value of Elizabeth Teague's Citroen car - her only realisable asset, Mr Richard Gibbs, prosecuting, told a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.

Recorder Charles Foster ordered that the 45-year-old trickster had benefited from her crime to the tune of £28,024 and her realisable assets were £920. She was ordered to pay that sum within 28 days or face six months jail in default.

Teague is already serving a two year jail sentence imposed at the same court in June when she admitted stealing from Mr Derek Perks between August 2008 and October 2013 after becoming so close to him that he regarded her as a 'daughter.'

He bought her a £11,750 car, paid for her £1,200 honeymoon and lavished cash gifts on Teague as well as paying a salary to her as his carer.

She repaid the trust of her victim by getting him to sign cheques that were paid into her own account and stealing cash, prosecutor Miss Lynnette McClement, told the earlier court hearing.

The defendant, who had previous convictions for fraud and theft, was an alcoholic without permanent accommodation when the pair met at the Talbot pub in Stourbridge High Street.

Miss McClement continued: "He extended the hand of friendship in full knowledge of her difficulties. He offered her a place to stay and assistance – and she took advantage of this.

"She described herself as being seen by the gentleman as a daughter. He was clearly forgetful at the time and is certainly now senile."

Teague even lived at his address for a short time until being helped to get her own rented home in the Stourbridge area. She was paid a weekly sum to clean, shop and look after him.

Then in October 2013 Mr Perks was found severely dehydrated on the floor where he had been lying for three days without any assistance. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition and later transferred to a care home.

As a result of the incident members of his family discovered that substantial sums of money were missing from his bank account and a new will had been prepared in the defendant's favour.

Teague, now of Lowe Lane, Alveley, Shropshire, originally denied stealing £47,000 from the victim but pleaded guilty to theft after the figure was reduced to £26,500.

Mr Christopher O'Gorman, defending, said: "She helped herself to money from a vulnerable man but he was also giving her gifts of money. She did not befriend him to steal but put herself in the way of temptation and succumbed to it."