Carer Betrays Elderly Client in £50,000 Fraud for Luxury Lifestyle
A home carer has been sentenced after stealing nearly £50,000 from an elderly, vulnerable woman to fund holidays and luxury items, in what a judge described as an "appalling" abuse of trust.
Systematic Theft from Vulnerable Widow
Paula Leyland, 37, was employed by Bluebird care company to provide home care for an 84-year-old widow after she fell and broke her hip three years ago. The victim, who lived alone with no close family or friends, relied completely on carers following her husband's death in 2014.
When Bluebird's formal services ended in May 2023, Leyland continued visiting the woman, presenting herself as a friend while secretly using the victim's bank card and PIN to steal £49,763 over nearly two years.
Luxury Spending on Stolen Funds
Liverpool Crown Court heard how Leyland spent the stolen money on lavish personal items rather than necessities. Her purchases included:
- £800 on holidays
- £70 on parking tickets
- £61 on tanning booths
- Various amounts on toiletries and electronic items
Judge Charlotte Crangle noted that while some money went toward groceries and school uniforms, "the majority was on luxuries." Shockingly, the victim even gifted Leyland £4,000 for new carpets and blinds, completely unaware her "friend" was systematically draining her savings.
Discovery and Emotional Impact
The fraud was discovered when the victim's bank card was declined. A staff member from the Pilkington Family Trust, which provides support services for retired Pilkington Glass employees, raised suspicions about the unusual account activity.
In a heartbreaking victim statement read in court, the 84-year-old described how Leyland had "taken a shine to her" and invited her for Christmas dinner with her family. "I became fond of them all and it meant a great deal to me to be included after losing my husband," she said.
The victim explained she had noticed her savings dwindling but trusted Leyland completely, believing it to be a banking error. Even after learning the truth, she hesitated to report the crime "because if Paula stopped coming to see me, I would have no one at all."
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Leyland, from St Helens, pleaded guilty to fraud. Her defence lawyer, Mike O'Brien, told the court she described it as "the biggest mistake of my life" and understood she faced possible imprisonment.
Judge Crangle acknowledged the significant impact imprisonment would have on Leyland's three children, describing this as "strong personal mitigation." However, she emphasised: "I mustn't lose sight of the victim in this case."
The judge highlighted how elderly people "have no choice" but to trust carers entering their private homes, and that Leyland had "destroyed her trust and her confidence" leaving the victim "feeling even more lonely and isolated."
Leyland received an 18-month suspended sentence, suspended for 18 months, plus 20 rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work. She had previously been dismissed from Bluebird following a misconduct hearing in March 2025, which she failed to attend.
The victim's bank eventually refunded the stolen money, but the emotional damage remains. "What has happened has caused me a great deal of upset and distress," the victim stated. "Since this happened I've found it very hard to trust anyone."
