A carer who stole more than £11,000 from a 74-year-old with learning difficulties in a “gross breach of trust” has been spared jail.
Paul Griffin Price admitted pocketing the cash from the vulnerable man he was supposed to be looking after at his Northumberland home.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 31-year-old started caring for his elderly victim in October 2014, visiting him once a week for a three-hour “enabling session”.
Christine Egerton, prosecuting, said the “vulnerable” man had been living alone in Cramlington after the death of a relative who had been his carer.
The court heard he and Griffin Price developed a relationship which was “meaningful and beneficial” for the victim.
But Griffin Price, of Cambridge Road, Stakeford, Northumberland, abused his trust to plunder £11,640 from the man’s bank accounts between June 2015 and January 2016.
Miss Egerton said: “The victim informed his family that when he was out with the defendant he would give the defendant his bank card to go to the cashpoint.
“The defendant would retrieve the cash while he remained in the car.”
The court heard over eight months more than £17,000 was withdrawn from two accounts - the victim’s current account and his savings account.
Miss Egerton said: “The crown has compared that figure with what used to be withdrawn before the defendant became involved and come up with the figure of £11,640.”
Griffin Price’s theft came to light when the victim’s cousin and her son, a police officer, visited him and discovered bank statements with a number of withdrawals every week from two accounts.
He denied any wrongdoing when confronted by the victim’s family, but later pleaded guilty to theft.
Miss Egerton said the victim was “very sad” Griffin Price was no longer involved in his care.
The court heard Griffin Price had racked up “significant debt” and had been driven to his dishonest actions because of his own “financial problems”.
In mitigation, Nigel Hedley said Griffin Price, who had lost his job as a carer but since found new full-time employment, was a low wage earner with a family to support and a disabled child.
He said: “He is extremely sad and remorseful for his actions, and that the victim has put his trust and friendship in a person where this has resulted.”
Recorder Nicholas Barker sentenced Griffin Price to two years in prison, suspended for two years.
He was ordered to pay back £4,800 of the £11,640 he stole to his victim, and to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.
Recorder Barker said: “This was a 74-year-old man who had significant disadvantages.
“Undoubtedly you and he developed a meaningful and beneficial relationship for him, and a relationship that he enjoyed.
“I have read in the family’s victim impact statement that he would save clippings from newspapers about fishing - something he knew you enjoyed.
“He gained great comfort and support from your visits. But at the same time you decided that you would abuse the trust placed in you to remove monies from his accounts.
“It’s clear to me that you have for many years had a hopeless inability to manage your own finances and you have managed to rack up significant debts.
“You clearly found the temptation of being able to access his bank account simply too great and you removed monies from his account and took them for your own use.”
