Carer Thieved £54K From Dementia Pensioner

A carer, who paid a gastric band bill and private school fees for her two children with some of the £54,000 she took from her 82 year-old dementia client, was jailed yesterday.

Single-mum Maria McCalla, 31, preyed on vulnerable pensioner Vera Haselden convincing her to write cheques in sums of£10,000 and £6,000.

On top of that she withdrew cash sums totalling £13,400 and £24,760 from an elderly woman whose dream of independent living was destroyed by the defendant.

McCalla, of Carolyn Road, Wembley received two years and eight months imprisonment at Harrow Crown Court.

She pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud regarding the cheques and two counts of theft between June 4 and August 10, 2014.

There will be no pursuit of Miss Haselden's money under the Proceeds of Crime Act after the prosecution decided there was no prospect of recovering any assets.

"I have heard about gastric band surgery, school fees, computer equipment, including an X-Box and brand-new clothes," said Recorder Andrew Hearn.

"The consequences for Miss Haselden have been enormous because she lived in fear of entering a care home and the whole point of employing you was so she could stay at home.

"She now has no capital and as a consequence has gone into a care home," he told the first-time offender. "She told the police she feels like she is in a prison, ending up where she did not want to be."

The court heard McCalla, whose 17 credit cards are all in the red, only began working for Miss Haselden two months before she started defrauding her.

"You became depressed, started gambling, and got yourself into money problems.

"You say Miss Haselden offered to lend you money and you took sixteen thousand pounds in loans, knowing you couldn't repay it.

"You stole further money from her, cash withdrawn over the bank counter when she was with you and cash withdrawals after she had given you her bank card and her PIN."

Eventually a suspicious bank employee tipped-off police, but McCalla denied stealing when questioned.

"You're attitude was that you had been given the money and were entitled to accept gifts."

McCalla's lawyer Mr. Malik Aldeiri agreed she initially denied the offences. "She was living in a bubble of false reality and denial.

'She felt like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders when she confessed her mistakes. She took responsibility."

The court heard McCalla's children are aged eleven and six years-old. "She has told them everything to teach them the error of her ways and they are distraught.

"Her living conditions were poor with mould in the bathroom, a boiler that gave up in the winter, leaving her without heat and hot water and she had mice and pigeons in the loft."

McCalla receives Jobseekers Allowance, plus child benefit and has an income of £1,000 a month, which she said could be put towards compensation.

"She's is not living an extravagant lifestyle and comes away from this with no glory."

McCalla was also ordered to pay £500 costs.