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A mum plundered \u00a3136,000 from a dementia-suffering client's bank account and used the money to pay for her wedding, holidays and designer shopping, a court has heard. <\/p>\n
Sarah Aikenhead, 37, has been jailed following her crime after she stole the money from a client at the solicitor's firm she had worked for. <\/p>\n
Aikenhead "plundered" so much money the company almost went out of business, Minshull Street Crown Court heard last week Manchester Evening News reports. <\/p>\n
The mum-of-one, of Beech Road, Sale, also gave \u00a330,000 to her brother, the court was told.<\/p>\n
Aikenhead, who has bipolar disorder, began her scam in May 2019, prosecutor Wayne Jackson said.<\/p>\n
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She first abused her position at the solicitor's firm to empty the bank account of Pamela Sread, an elderly client who lived in a care home.<\/p>\n
The company had control over her finances due to the fact Mrs Sread suffered from dementia, the court heard.<\/p>\n
When Mrs Sread's money ran out, Aikenhead then used the legal firm's money to top it back up.<\/p>\n
Her greed was only discovered when Mrs Sread sadly died and the process of probate began, Mr Jackson said.<\/p>\n
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"The defendant attempted to make amends and transferred two payments back into the client account of \u00a325,000 and a further \u00a320,000," Mr Jackson said.<\/p>\n
Aikenhead also tried to claim her ex-partner would pay back a further \u00a325,000 but when contacted by the solicitor's firm he said this was not the case, the court heard.<\/p>\n
The fraud was reported to police and Aikenhead later confessed when interviewed.<\/p>\n
Mr Jackson said she initially told police she had "racked up debts" but this is something the prosecution don't accept.<\/p>\n
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"She used \u00a312,000 towards a wedding venue and spent significant amounts of money on clothing and luxury items," Mr Jackson added.<\/p>\n
Aikenhead's former employer has suffered "significant financial difficulties", as a result of the fraud, the court heard.<\/p>\n
"It was certainly possible at one stage the business might go under," Mr Jackson said.<\/p>\n
Adam Watkins, defending, said Aikenhead accepts her offending was "nobody else's fault" other than her own.<\/p>\n
"She says she found [stealing the money] easy and so she continued," he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Watkins pleaded with the court to show mercy on Aikenhead as she is the primary carer for her young son.<\/p>\n
He said being in prison would hit Aikenhead "harder than 99% of defendants here".<\/p>\n
But sentencing her for two counts of fraud, Judge Tina Landale had no sympathy and sent her down for three years and four months.<\/p>\n
She said: "You were a highly valued and trusted member of staff.<\/p>\n
"You had access to passwords and bank accounts for clients. You plundered the account of a highly vulnerable client of the firm's.<\/p>\n
"To your credit when detected you made admissions and \u00a345,000 was repaid, but the consequences have been devastating."<\/p>\n