A Dorchester woman who stole money over a period of five years from a vulnerable elderly woman she was caring for has been jailed.

Paula Wareham, 60 and of Hope Close in Crossways, Dorchester, was sentenced to 16 months in prison following a hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday, December 9, 2021. She had pleaded guilty at the same court on Monday, November 1, 2021 to one charge of fraud by abuse of position.

The offence was discovered after Wareham's elderly victim died in February 2017 at the age of 84 and was reported to Dorset Police in April that year. The victim was wealthy having inherited significant sums from her mother and stepfather.

The court heard that Wareham had worked alongside other carers to provide round-the-clock care for the woman who lived in Child Okeford, near Blandford, and had suffered for many years with multiple sclerosis. As a result of her condition, the victim had no movement from the neck down and her eyesight had become limited. She did, however, have full mental capacity.

The carers were self-employed and were paid privately in a mixture of cash and cheque by the victim. The arrangements were informal and no formal records were kept. There is no suggestion that any of the woman's other carers had been involved in any fraud offences.

During the probate process the family's solicitor established that significant weekly cash withdrawals had been made from the victim's bank account and although some was used to pay carers wages, there was no consistency. The victim's bank was contacted, and full records were requested.

During the police investigation it was established that Wareham had paid large value cheques into her bank account, but the stub in the chequebooks indicated only a small payment to a charity or similar.

Detectives found that between March 3, 2011 and October 8, 2016 Wareham stole in the region of £42,000.

Detective Constable Declan Cummings, of the Dorset Police Economic Crime Unit, said: "Paula Wareham was caring for a very poorly and elderly woman and had been trusted to act as an appointed signatory to assist with her finances. Instead of providing compassionate care to her victim and making honest and legitimate payments to herself and other carers, Wareham stole thousands of pounds from her unsuspecting victim. This is one of the most disgusting breaches of trust.

"Thankfully her offences were uncovered during the probate process and we were able to carry out a thorough investigation and bring Wareham before the court.

"I hope this case yet again demonstrates that Dorset Police will investigate all offences of fraud no matter how long ago they were committed and bring offenders to justice."

After the hearing, the victim's family said: "Not only did the officer in this case gather and prepare compelling evidence, he also supported us during this stressful period.

"Abuse of vulnerable people is a terrible crime and often difficult to prove, particularly when cash and money is involved. We are devastated that she was treated in this way and hope that the lessons learnt from this case will help other families avoid a similar experience."