Son stole £55,000 from mother with dementia

A man has been handed a suspended sentence for stealing tens of thousands of pounds from his own mother, who was suffering from dementia.

Eileen Tozer's son Michael had spent six years withdrawing money from her bank accounts and using it to pay off his debts.

The thefts were investigated in January last year, when relatives of 90-year-old Eileen told police that they were worried that her 62-year-old son was taking money from her accounts.

While Eileen suffered with the late stages of dementia in a care home, police discovered that her son - a plumber from Tattershall Road in Kirkstead, Lincolnshire - had withdrawn about £55,000 in cash over the years.

The defendant made admissions during police interviews and he entered a guilty plea in court.

On Febraury 9, Tozer was handed a two year suspended sentence and a requirement to work 250 hours.

Police say he had been suffering with mental illness and depression for many years, and that he showed great remorse for what he had done. He has agreed to make sure that the money is repaid.

Tozer's mother died just before Christmas, and was never aware of the investigation or of the fact that her son had stolen money from her.