A callous mother who swindled her own infirm grandparents out of more than £30,000 has been spared jail after magistrates ruled the thefts were a ‘stupid, immature mistake’.
Charlotte Booth, 24, used a bank card in the names of Robert and Christine Booth to splurge on shopping and pay off rent and direct debits after her own mother was given power of attorney over the elderly couple.
A court heard Booth ‘exploited’ the situation to make multiple cash withdrawals over a two-year period.
The truth emerged when her mother Natalie noticed discrepancies in the bank account, a court heard.
She consulted her step-sister Andrea Mason, who also had power of attorney over Mr and Mrs Booth.
Initially the mother was wrongly treated as a suspect until it was established that her daughter was behind the thefts.
Charlotte – herself the mother of a two-year-old child – later blamed her offending on ‘poor decision making’.
The elderly couple, who both have dementia, are said to be unaware of their granddaughter’s betrayal.
Charlotte Booth, 24, (pictured outside court) was given a suspended prison sentence after admitting the theft of more than £30,000 from her elderly grandparents
Andrea Mason (pictured) shared power of attorney over Robert and Christine Booth’s financial affairs and raised the alarm over the missing cash
At Warrington magistrates court, Booth, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, admitted theft and was sentenced to 10 months in jail, suspended for 18 months.
She will have to pay back all the stolen money – amounting to £30,255.19. She is currently claiming Universal Credit
In a statement to the hearing, Mrs Mason, who helps run a management consultancy business in Congleton, said news of the missing money had left her ‘in shock and disbelief’.
‘I have endured countless sleepless nights with my mind racing with worry about my parents’ future security and wellbeing,’ she said.
‘The sense of trust has been shattered in the family – something that will never be repaired.’
She has had to to take on full responsibility for the couple’s financial affairs as well as managing two businesses, she added.
As a result, her daily life is ‘a constant battle between safeguarding my parents’ future and maintaining my own livelihood’.
‘Thankfully they were blissfully unaware of these stressful events unfolding over the years.
‘Neither suffered physical or physical harm injuries.
‘But there was a substantial financial loss to my parents – money that was to provide comfort and care in their later years.
‘There has been an emotional toll of knowing their hard-earned savings were exploited.
‘This did not just represent their security but their dignity and peace of mind. That has been stolen from them.
‘This has caused lasting damage to the family relationships and created significant stress and hardship.
‘It has placed an enormous burden on my shoulders and my hope is that the prosecution of Charlotte will provide some measure of accountability and reassurance that the exploitation of vulnerable individuals will not go unpunished.’
Earlier Lisa McGuire, prosecuting, told the court that Mrs Mason had reported money missing from the couple’s bank account to police.
‘An investigation found money was taken from the account to pay for a rental agreement, direct debits, cash withdrawals and general purchases,’ she said.
‘Natalie Booth was originally suspected in the case, but she states she gave the card to her daughter on the pretext she did shopping for her parents on her behalf.
‘There are no criminal charges in relation to Natalie Booth.
‘Charlotte clearly breached the trust of all parties concerned.’
In mitigation for Booth, Laura Young said: ‘The offending occurred during a period of financial pressure.
‘She was not driven by greed or entitlement but by her poor decision making.’
Her client had been visiting her grandparents as part of ‘steps to rebuild trust’, she added.
Saying a prison sentence would be ‘disproportionate and counter-productive’, Ms Young added that Booth was ‘willing to pay whatever compensation is imposed’.
Sentencing Booth, JP Andrew Pope said: ‘It is evident that you have made a stupid immature mistake.
‘You have breached the trust placed on you by your family and that aggravates the situation.
‘Make no mistake we do have the right to send you to immediate custody, but you entered a prompt guilty plea and you have no previous convictions.
‘There is a realistic chance you won’t commit further offences.’