A cruel carer who stole almost £1,000 from a disabled man was jailed today in a warning shot to other potential thieves.
Carol Donald was told she could have expected a non-custodial sentence – but the sheriff wanted to send a message to others that such “gross breaches of trust” would not be tolerated.
The 49-year-old plundered the bank account of Terence Farr, who has spina bifida, over the course of a month – then squandered the money after a split from her partner left her strapped for cash.
Speaking from his home in Aberdeen last night Mr Farr welcomed Donald’s six-month prison sentence.
The 50-year-old, who also suffers from hydrocephalus – fluid on the brain – and epilepsy said: “I’m just glad to put this all behind me and I hope I can get my money back.
“I had no idea it was that much money she had taken – I thought it was just about £100.
“I really couldn’t believe she would do something like that to me.”
Donald appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced today, having previously admitted the offence by letter.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said he would have been entitled to impose a community payback order, allowing her to pay back the money she stole at the rate of £100 a month.
But he said the court had to be seen to “be sending out a message” to criminals of her nature – and only a “significant sentence” would suffice.
The court heard Donald used Mr Farr’s bank card and pin number on three occasions between January 17 and February 22 last year to steal a total of £900 from various cash machines around the city.
Her actions were only discovered when her boss noticed irregularities on Mr Farr’s bank statements.
Fiscal depute Sandy Hutchison said: “Matters came to light because the service manager at the company that provides the care, and is the employer of the accused, noticed irregular transactions in the gentleman’s bank statements on the dates libelled.
“Large sums of money were being taken over three transactions totalling £900. Efforts were made to physically check the address to see if there was money there but nothing was discovered.
“Suspicion fell on the accused and she admitted she had taken the money on various occasions.”
Representing Donald, solicitor David Sutherland said she accepted her crime had been extremely “mean spirited” and she was “ashamed and embarrassed” by her actions.
He urged Sheriff Buchanan to allow her to carry out unpaid work in the community as an alternative to a jail sentence.
Mr Sutherland said that if she was sent to prison she would lose her job and would have no realistic prospect of paying Mr Farr back. However, he said if she was allowed to keep her liberty she should be able to eventually repay him in full.
Sentencing Donald, of 14C Piries Lane, Aberdeen, the sheriff said he was aware that a prison sentence would likely result in Mr Farr not receiving his money back.
However he said her crimes were “extremely serious” and her punishment needed to reflect that.
He said: “As you have heard me say, this is a very serious offence indeed because you were guilty of a gross breach of trust when you were the carer for a seriously handicapped person.
“You were given a bank card in order to withdraw money, which of course should have been given to the person you were caring for, but instead you simply appropriated a substantial sum of money for your own use.”
The sheriff added: “I have to say this is quite a difficult case, because the temptation is to say that if Mr Farr is to be compensated by you, then that would be a very good thing.
“But on the other hand I have to say I am very concerned about ensuring that a message is sent out from this court that someone who commits as serious and as mean an offence as this, as in your situation, will receive a significant sentence.”