Grimsby Care Worker Stole From OAP

A CALLOUS care worker stole £2,000 from a vulnerable 72-year-old resident who put his trust in her.

Elaine Wilson (44), of Queensway on the Willows estate, was found guilty of two counts of theft at Grimsby Crown Court and has been warned she faces jail for her “gross breach of trust”.

She stole the money from Ernest Gregge, who was a resident in Hazelmere House, a care home on Welholme Avenue, where Wilson was employed as a senior care worker.

In a cruel twist, she even tried to convince a jury that she had given the money back but that the elderly man had forgotten.

The court heard Wilson withdrew the money from Mr Gregge’s bank after she became a signatory on his account at his request. The court heard that residents of the home were advised to keep their money in a safe, but that Mr Gregge wanted to keep it himself.

On a trip into Grimsby town centre with Wilson, on May 29, Mr Gregge went to the Lloyds TSB bank in Grimsby and spoke to the manager, saying he wanted to keep his money himself. The manager advised him to make someone else a signatory on the account.

Wilson became one and Mr Gregge withdrew £1,000 which he asked Wilson to keep and give to him in small amounts as he needed it.

Afterwards, he repeatedly asked her to give him £50, but said he never saw the money.

Mr Gregge said Wilson promised she would give him the money on June 20, but on that day, she called in sick and Mr Gregge reported the matter to the manager of the home.

When Wilson was arrested, she admitted still having the bank book in her possession and when examined by police, a further withdrawal of £1,000, on June 16, was noticed.

Giving evidence in the two-day trial, Wilson denied stealing the cash and claimed that she had returned the money to Mr Gregge after he asked her to withdraw it and that he had forgotten.

But he told the court: “I trusted her. I trusted her and she took my money off me. She didn’t give me any back and then she took £1,000 without my knowledge.”

After a jury of six women and six men took four hours to convict Wilson, Recorder Andrew Campbell QC told her she faced a prison sentence.

He said: “This involved a gross breach of trust. You must expect a sentence of imprisonment.”

A spokesperson for Hazelmere House said: “Elaine Wilson is no longer employed by us.”

The case was adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports. Wilson will be sentenced at a later date.