Police who investigated a callous carer who stole more than £10,000 from vulnerable pensioners have praised the resilience of the victims.

Janet Spradbury used the bank details of the elderly people she was tasked to look after to fund her gambling addiction.

The 56-year-old was jailed for 15 months after she admitted defrauding her vulnerable victims while working as their trusted carer.

Temporary Detective Sergeant Natasha Barber, of Cleveland Police, said: “I welcome the sentence handed to Janet Spradbury. 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 amounts of stress and trauma to them and their families.

Janet SpradburyJanet Spradbury (Image: Cleveland Police)

“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."

Spradbury had raided almost £8,500 out of the bank account of her first victim before turning her attention to three more vulnerable pensioners, Teesside Crown Court heard.

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Her victims spoke of the betrayal of trust when their impact statements were read to the judge.

The first victim said her dementia-suffering husband got his briefcase out of the loft so that he could go back to work after they had ‘lost all of the money’ and was preparing to move to the Midlands to be near her son.

She said: “She was worthy of an Oscar for her acting, she was the perfect carer. If you asked me to choose which carer I liked best I would have said ‘Janet’.”

Spradbury, of Limes Crescent, Marske, east Cleveland, pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud by false representation between April 2022 and August 2023.