A care worker who stole from a 92-year-old woman and accused her of making up false allegations about other care workers, has been jailed.

Samantha Jane Mook, 38, forced the elderly  woman to give evidence in front of a jury by denying the charges against her, and forged her signature on a “receipt”, said Nick Peacock, prosecuting.

The 92-year-old, who served her country for many years and has several health problems, is now going without the help she needs because although she says 99 per cent of care workers are honest,  she refuses to have another one in her home in case she is again a victim of crime, York Crown Court heard.

“This was a disgraceful thing to do,” the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told Mook.

The Northern Echo: Thieving care worker Samantha Mook

“It was down to greed. People who have worked hard all their lives deserve to have their retirement in peace and quiet and see out their time without trauma, without awful events happening to them at the hands of those people who are supposed to help and care for them. You took advantage.

“Appropriate punishment can only be achieved in your case by an immediate prison sentence.”

Mook, of Hillside Way, West Lutton near Malton, North Yorkshire, denied theft and five charges of fraud but was convicted by a jury in December.

She was jailed for eight months.

Her barrister Tom Jackson said Mook was the primary carer for her own mother who had a series of medical problems and depended on her. Without Mook’s aid, she would have to go into a care home.

He handed in several references, including one from Mook’s employer at the care agency she was working for at the time of her crimes.

Together, he said, they described her as “kind, caring, hard working dedicated, puts 100 per cent into all she does, works well in teams and excellent time keeping".

She had recently got a job in a bakery and would not work in the care industry again.

He described the theft and frauds as “opportunistic”, “impulsive” and out of character.

Mr Peacock said when police questioned Mook about money she had stolen from the woman, Mook claimed the 92-year-old had made false complaints about other care workers.

She also showed police a document she claimed was a receipt signed by the women for money Mook had given her. But the signature was a forgery. 

As part of her work for the 92-year-old woman, Mook  had driven her to Malton to get some money. The woman gave her her bank card to get it because it was rainy and she feared she would fall if she got out of the car.

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Mook used the card to get £500 from the post office and then tried repeatedly to use it to get up to £500 from a nearby cash point. She eventually got £100, said Mr Peacock.

She gave the card and some of the money to the woman when she got back to the car, but kept some for herself.

The woman realised something was wrong when she saw the cashpoint withdrawal on her bank statement and contacted police.