JAILED: Fraudster stole £53k from dying grandmother's savings
A “heartless” man who systematically drained over £53,000 in a year from his dying grandmother’s savings, is starting a two and a half year jail sentence.
Alan Blackham should have used the money to pay the care home bills of the 83-year-old dementia sufferer, a judge heard.
But the 36-year-old bus driver, from Tipton, chose to plunder her bank current and savings accounts for his own use rather than pay the £2,000-a-month fees at the home, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
His grandmother had paid her own way since moving into the care home in Bloxwich, Walsall, in November 2016 because she had £80,000 savings.
But in the following March it was ruled she could not look after her own finances any more and Blackham was given power of attorney over her affairs two months later.
Missed deadlines
The defendant missed deadlines for the fees and fell increasingly into debt with the care home before stopping all payments in January last year, disclosed Mr Charles Crinion, prosecuting.
A month later Blackham contacted social services to admit his grandmother’s savings had only £6,000 left and three months later appealed to them for financial assistance.
Bank statements revealed £34,416 cash withdrawn from her account together with £19,000 spent with her debit card had been squandered by his “self indulgence”.
About £5,000 went on items bought through Amazon while the rest was blown at Argos, on jewellery, car repairs, shopping trips, Sky subscriptions and paying off debts, continued Mr Crinion.
Police were called in and he told them when interviewed that he “could not believe” he had managed to spend so much money in such a short time, the court heard.
'Significant prison sentence'
Mr Oliver Woolhouse, defending, conceded: “This is a serious offence which justifies a significant prison sentence.”
But he argued Blackham could be spared immediate custody to allow him to continue as the prime carer for his eight year old son who suffers from Global Developmental Delay.
The defendant, from Ivy Road, who was of previous good character, admitted fraud by abuse of position and was sent to prison by Judge Rhona Campbell who told him: “This was heartless, callous and selfish.
"You paid no regard to the interests of your grandmother but concentrated on your self indulgence.
"She was left in a position of risk while you spent money on day to day expenditure for you and those close to you.”
His grandmother has since died, the court was told.
