Marske grandmother who stole £10k put on 'Oscar-worthy' performance as perfect carer

A carer who stole more than £10,000 from older people she was looking after has been jailed for 15 months.

Janet Spradbury took a total of £10,300 from four victims after she became addicted to gambling.

Teesside Crown Court heard the grandmother, from Marske, had put on an "Oscar-worthy" performance as a perfect carer.

Summarising the case, Judge Chris Smith said: "You were visiting elderly vulnerable people in their homes to help them with day-to-day living. They regarded you as a very good carer, they trusted you and you betrayed that trust."

Judge Smith said Spradbury took almost £8,500 from her first victim over a seven month period. He said in the summer of 2023 she targeted three other victims, committing fraud in a very short time period.

The court heard Spradbury, of Limes Crescent, took the money to cover her day-to-day living expenses after racking up gambling debts.

"She hoped initially to pay them back but it never happened - the total loss here is £10,300," Judge Smith said.

Spradbury's crimes came to light after an investigation was launched by Cleveland Police's Child Abuse and Vulnerable Adults Unit (CAVA) in January 2023 after the first victim noticed a number of transactions in her bank account she did not recognise.

The defendant was identified as a suspect and she was arrested in August 2023 when she admitted what she had done.

Following further enquiries with Spradbury’s employer, the three other victims were identified who had more than £2,000 missing.

In one impact statement, an 86-year-old victim said the defendant should have been given an Oscar for her acting.

She said: "My husband has dementia and she managed him well, he liked her. He once said 'I'm so glad you're back from your holiday". I now realise the holiday was paid for with my money.

"She is worthy of an Oscar for her acting, she was the perfect carer. At the time, she ruined my life. I was terrified of getting bank statements. I began not to trust anyone even the cleaning lady who I've known since 2019."

Another elderly victim said: "I'm just devastated and in disbelief. I couldn't believe she had done that as in my eyes she was a good carer.

"I couldn't believe she abused my trust. It's a big thing having strangers in your house to take care of you and to have it abused in this way has made me want to hide things away."

Spradbury's barrister, Chris Morrison, said the 56-year-old is remorseful, acknowledges she "failed everybody" and is "beyond embarrassed." He added that the defendant committed the offences after becoming addicted to gambling.

He said: "There wasn't very much else in her life going on and she found herself addicted to online gambling. She has poor money management skills and found herself with mounting arrears. She found herself in a desperate state with bills to be paid."

Spradbury, who has no relevant convictions, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and was handed a 15-month prison sentence.

Temporary Detective Sergeant, Natasha Barber, said: “I welcome the sentence handed to Janet Spradbury today. It sends out a message that actions such as this will not be tolerated and those who target the most vulnerable in our society will be held to account.

“Spradbury held a privileged and trusted position which she cruelly took advantage of. These victims have worked hard and should have been enjoying their retirement, however, Spradbury took this opportunity away from them, causing untold amount of stress and trauma to them and their families.

“These families are now left not knowing who to trust and will no doubt be wary of anyone who offers support to their relatives. With her actions, Spradbury has undermined her profession and discredited hard working carers, and these will have repercussions far and wide.

“I would like to thank the victims in this case for their support, bravery and patience in this lengthy investigation. I would also like to thank the care company for their support throughout this investigation. They acted swiftly and effectively upon the allegations and have successfully safeguarded potential victims."

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