Speke Care Home workers who stole from dementia patients are jailed.

Speke Care Home workers Joan Vernon and Kathleen Treble stole the life savings of vulnerable residents, some of whom had dementia, who they were meant to be looking after.

Liverpool crown court heard it was only an anonymous tip-off to the council which led to investigators uncovering their underhand dealings in April, 2010.

Both women, who are from Speke, immediately blamed each other and were suspended while an 18-month investigation was carried out.

Care home manager Vernon, 61, of Maintree Crescent, pleaded guilty to theft on the first day of her trial last month.
 

But her deputy Treble, 47, of Linner Road, continued to protest her innocence and was found guilty by unanimous verdict.

Dan Travers, prosecuting, said they stole more than £24,000 from Prosper Chevalier, 91, a retired Belgian man, by cashing pension Giro cheques and taking money from his bank account.

Alzheimer’s sufferer Nancy Hoare, who died last year, aged 84, had £24,000 taken from her bank account by two women between 2007 and 2010. Elsie Rathbone was encouraged to pay £24,000 over four years for her husband’s care, but the cash payments never found their way to the home.

Finally, Luke Moore, who had dementia, was deprived of £23,800.

 

Sourced from the Liverpool Echo, 21st February 2012.