Thornbury pensioner's carers 'stole £24k savings'

A pair of carers supposedly looking after a disabled woman from Thornbury allegedly pilfered £24,000 from her bank account to fund everything from hairdressing to holidays, a court heard.

Jennifer and Albert Wilks, who face a total of 10 theft charges, are claimed to have spent multiple sclerosis sufferer Margaret Willmott's money on DIY, pet care, a foreign holiday, home furnishings and meals out, Bristol Crown Court was told.

Both Mrs Wilks, 63, and Mr Wilks, 65, of Somerset Avenue, Yate, have denied the allegations.

The couple are not present at court and the jury has been told to disregard their absence.

Nicholas Fridd, prosecuting, said Mrs Willmott, 72, suffers from MS and osteoporosis, and requires a carer for her everyday needs.

Since 1991 she has lived in sheltered housing in Thornbury and Mrs Wilks became her care assistant via the British Nursing Agency from 1994.

Mr Fridd said: "In 2004 they opened three bank accounts to use for Mrs Willmott's benefit.

"Mr Wilks was given power of attorney over her bank account, and was made sole beneficiary of her will.

"What the prosecution say happened, between 2004 and 2007, was that Mr and Mrs Wilks helped themselves to money from one of the joint bank accounts.

"The Crown says the money they took was money Mrs Willmott owned and was money she didn't need to spend."

The court heard that, though Mrs Willmott is wheelchair-bound, an investigation found that £1,714 from her account had been used on DIY to make purchases from hardware stores.

Mr Fridd said £1,633 of the pensioner's money was found to have been spent on camping and caravanning holidays and a trip to Bodrum in Turkey.

And £524 of the pensioner's money was spent on meals out at restaurants, Mr Fridd said, while £2,593 of her money was used for sun bed treatment, hair care and insurance costs.

Mr Fridd said although Mr Wilks did not start as a carer for Mrs Willmott until 2006, some £7,137 was transferred to him from her account between December 2004 and February 2006.

And a further £8,108, which was not wages, is alleged to have been transferred from Mrs Willmott to Mrs Wilks.

Mr Fridd said: "In interview, the defendants said there was money owed because of bills and 'we paid ourselves back for the money we paid out'.

"You may conclude the explanation speaks volumes; they were helping themselves to her money."

The case continues at Bristol Crown Court.