Fraud exploited 25-year friendship with elderly woman to steal her life savings
A woman with a history of preying on vulnerable and elderly victims has been jailed.
Jacqueline Ashberry, 61, of James Road in Kidderminster, was sentenced to 35 months in prison for fraud by abuse of position at Worcester Crown Court.
Ashberry became an unofficial carer for the elderly victim, a friend of 25 years, during which time she controlled her finances and defrauded her of her life savings.
The fraud was eventually discovered by the victim’s sons and reported to the police in April 2019, when the victim was 88 years old.
Their suspicions stemmed from discovering that Ashberry had recently been charged with theft and fraud against another elderly person in 2019, for which she received a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Detective Constable James Green, officer in charge of the case for West Mercia Police, said "Jacqueline Ashberry has a history of preying on vulnerable victims, causing huge financial losses and much distress to both them and their families.
"We are delighted with the significant custodial sentence, which will prevent her from causing harm to other vulnerable members of the community.
"We take all reports of financial abuse and fraud very seriously and ensure that offenders are brought to justice.”
For those affected by fraud ,local support is available from the Victim Advice Line on 0800 9523000, via email at info@victimadviceline.org.uk and through live chat on victimadviceline.org.uk.
