Jailed: Carer who 'wiped out' Shropshire pensioner's £80,000 in savings

Over a nine-year period Susan Weston abused the victim's trust and stole about £80,000.

When she was caught the 64-year-old defendant attempted to get Christopher Dunning, from Market Drayton, to drop the charges against her.

Meanwhile Weston was also illegally claiming thousands of pounds in disability living allowance payments, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

Passing sentence, Judge Peter Barrie told the court that Weston had been involved in a "serious and systematic period of abuse of a vulnerable person" and had until recently still continued to deny doing anything wrong.

"You abused the trust Mr Dunning gave you and he let you use his bank card which you used to take all his money," he said.

"Over a sustained period of years you betrayed a man who was elderly, vulnerable and was dependant on you."

He said that aggravating features included the impact on the victim and that Weston had spoken to Mr Dunning – and got someone else to speak to him – in an effort to try to get the case against her dropped.

Weston, of Bartons Lane, Market Drayton, was jailed for three years and four months for the theft of the monies, a further six months for attempting to pervert the course of justice and an additional four months for the benefit fraud offences. She had admitted all the charges.

Miss Samantha Powis, prosecuting, said Weston had also faced a theft charge relating to another Market Drayton pensioner, but the alleged victim had since died and the prosecution would not seek a trial. Judge Barrie ordered the charge should lie on the file.

In the case of 75-year-old Mr Dunning, the court heard that he had lived with his twin brother, Nicholas, until he died in 2001.

Miss Powis said Weston had been a near neighbour and she had started to visit the victim daily and did shopping, got meals and took control of his affairs. He had trusted her implicitly.

She said Mr Dunning only saw the defendant and he believed her to be honest and kind.

In 2014, when the theft of the monies was discovered, he was "astounded" to see that she had "wiped out" his account.

The court heard on Monday that Mr Dunning had needed new furniture, only had second hand clothes and was unaware he could have had a new kitchen because Weston had kept his post away from him.

Mr Kenneth Grant, for Weston, said his client now accepted responsibility for her actions and was sorry for the harm she had caused.

He said she had initially entered the relationship with Mr Dunning with the best will in the world, but very shortly took control of his life and abused her position.

Mr Grant said Weston had suffered poor health and her DWP claims had initially been genuine and he said she was now a "woman of straw" with no assets.