Nursing home worker who stole £50k to fund drug habit is jailed

A nursing home worker who stole £50,000 from elderly residents to finance his cocaine habit and flash lifestyle has been jailed for 18 months.

Jaspal Sandhar, 25, spent the cash on hiring expensive cars, buying designer clothes and gambling in casinos.

His three victims all lived at The Willows Nursing Home in Higher Broughton, Salford,  which is owned by one of Sandhar’s relatives.

One was a 90-year-old woman who has since died, and the others were a 67-year-old woman and a man aged 57, both of whom have medical conditions.

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Sandhar admitted three counts of fraud by false representation between October 28 and April this year.

At Salford magistrates’ court he was sentenced to 18 months.

The court was told the nursing home fees of the three victims were withdrawn from their banks but their credit and debit cards were available to Sandhar in the home’s office. He obtained £14,209 from the account of the now deceased Marjorie Thorpe as well as £17,278 from the account of Paula Nelson and £18,724 from Brian Roy.

Sandhar’s job at the home included driving to the Post Office to withdraw money from the three residents’ accounts.

Magistrates heard he stole the money to fund his cocaine habit, hire prestige cars and buy clothes. It was Sandhar’s first offence and he was arrested by Salford Police vulnerable adult unit.

Officers searched Bluebell Court, part of the Willows, and further searches were made at   Sandhar’s address which, at the time was Muirfield Avenue,  Tyldesley, Wigan. Sandhar, now living in Harmondsworth, Middlesex, will also be subject to a proceeds of crime hearing at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court in December.

Coun John Warmis-ham, Salford council’s lead member for adult social care, called Sandhar’s crimes  despicable and added: “If anyone has suspicions about the welfare of an elderly person they must report them This man has preyed on some of the most vulnerable peopIe and I am pleased the magistrates have seen fit to give him a substantial custodial sentence.”