Carer repays £2000 taken from elderly woman

A carer who defrauded an elderly woman out of nearly £2000 after being entrusted with her bank card has repaid the cash.

But Lisa Hutton will have to wait to learn her fate after a sheriff delayed sentence to find out who should get the compensation.

Sentence was deferred at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday to find out if Hutton's victim, 71-year-old Eliza Nichol had got the cash back from her bank.

Hutton, 25, was caught after the woman's nephew spotted that money had been spent at burger chain McDonald's while his aunt was in hospital.

Claire Martin, prosecuting, said Hutton was responsible for a total of 67 transactions using the victim's debit card.

The accused worked for Heatherfield Care and regularly visited the woman in her home.

She had built a relationship with her patient and was in a position of trust, Miss Martin said.

"She was entrusted by the lady to go to her bank and withdraw 200 at a time and carry out small errands.

"She often kept the bank card for days before giving it back. When the lady was taken to hospital after suffering a bad reaction to antibiotics she asked Hutton to take out 100 to use while she was in hospital.

"She'd been in hospital for about four weeks when the accused visited her and returned the card.

"When the lady's nephew and his wife opened her bank statements they found a transaction at McDonald's which was completely out of character for their auntie. They decided the police should be contacted."

Raymond McMenamin, defending, said Hutton, who now worked in a bakery had paid more than 1,973 she stole into a holding account.

Sheriff Douglas Kinloch said making a compensation order would be simpler if the court found out who had lost out as a result of Hutton's dishonesty. He deferred sentence until March 17.