Pensioner lacked mental capacity for £188,000 purchase, fraud trial told

That was the view of David Lunt, an assistant social worker team manager specialising in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, who visited him several times.

He told Wolverhampton Crown Court: "He had no awareness of the large transaction we were asking him about.

"He lacked capacity in respect of understanding the decisions that had been made around his finances.

"He did not have the mental capacity to make a decision over such a large transaction.

"He told us that he did give gifts but would not give a gift of that magnitude. He was very clear that was something he would not do."

Mr Lunt believed the man did not retain information and continued: "He said he never withdrew anything more than a few hundred pounds. He denied withdrawing a large sum. Five minutes later, when we returned to the same topic, he could not remember what he had said."

The man was also unaware of what day or month it was, the court heard.

Mr Lunt concluded: "His forthright nature could mask his lack of capacity but when we calmed him down you could see that he did not understand things."

Veronica Robinson started work as a cleaner at his Black Country home in late summer 2013 and paid his cheque that covered the cost of the Beecher Street, Halesowen, house into her account on November 3, 2014, the jury was told.

Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting, has alleged that the 61 year old and her partner Robert Homer, 66, deliberately isolated the man from friends and family. The court has heard a claim that around £250,000 of the man's savings were spent after she started to work for him.

Robinson, of High Haden Road, Cradley Heath, denies fraud by abuse of position and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Homer, of the same address, pleads not guilty to aiding and abetting the fraud and false representation.

The trial continues.