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A carer who stole more than £10,000 from four vulnerable and elderly people who she was supposed to be looking after has today been sentenced.
An investigation was launched by Cleveland Police's Child Abuse and Vulnerable Adults Unit (CAVA) in January 2023 after an elderly woman noticed a number of transactions in her bank account that she did not recognise.
Janet Spradbury, 56, from Marske, who worked as a carer for the victim, was soon identified as a suspect and she was arrested in August 2023 when she admitted what she had done.
Following further enquiries with Spradbury’s employer, three more victims were identified. The first victim reported more than £8,000 missing from her account whilst the additional three victims had more than £2,000 missing.
Spradbury was charged with four frauds in April 2024 totalling more than £10,000. She appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court in September 2024 where she pleaded guilty to all offences.
She appeared at Teesside Crown Court on October 7th where she was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Temporary Detective Sergeant, Natasha Barber, said: “I welcome the sentence handed to Janet Spradbury today. It sends out a message that actions such as this will not be tolerated and those who target the most vulnerable in our society will be held to account.
“Spradbury held a privileged and trusted position which she cruelly took advantage of. These victims have worked hard and should have been enjoying their retirement however Spradbury took this opportunity away from them, causing untold amount of stress and trauma to them and their families.
“These families are now left not knowing who to trust and will no doubt be wary of anyone who offers support to their relatives. With her actions, Spradbury has undermined her profession and discredited hard working carers, and these will have repercussions far and wide.
“I would like to thank the victims in this case for their support, bravery and patience in this lengthy investigation. I would also like to thank the care company for their support throughout this investigation. They acted swiftly and effectively upon the allegations and have successfully safeguarded potential victims."
You can report an incident to us any time of day or night online via the Cleveland Police website or by phoning 101.