UK: A woman who took nearly £12,000 from a teenager so she could go on shopping sprees has been asked by the authorities to pay back, but not the amount that you are thinking.
50-year-old Marcia Carrod, the woman, used the money of the teen with learning difficulties to go on shopping sprees.
She was ordered by the court to only pay £5.
The woman used the money to buy home decorations, restaurant dining, car finance, and supermarket shopping.
The teenager, who was not identified or aged, had a number of learning difficulties, and Carrod was the one who was in charge of the teen’s finances.
Sophie Hill, prosecuting, said that Carrod received training on what she was and was not allowed to do anything with the money of the teen.
Hill added:
Despite this training, Carrod used thousands of pounds of the teenager’s money for her own and her family’s purposes.
Carrod used $15,800 from the account of the teenager in just 2 years.
It was reported that she used $650 on restaurant meals, $520 on car finance, $120 on wallpapers, $260 on petrol, $780 in supermarkets, and over $2,600 in cash withdrawals.
The teenager that she scammed had ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and global developmental delay.
Carrod, from Ammanford, west Wales, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position.
Richard, the husband of Carrod, was charged with the same offence, however, he walked free as authorities and prosecutors had no evidence against him.
David Singh, defending, said:
Carrod accepts that there has been an appalling breach of trust and a complete mismanagement of the complainant’s money and that the vast majority of the financial transactions should not have occurred. It is highly unlikely she will ever be able to work in a fostering or caring role again.
Authorities jailed Carrod for 8 months.
Judge Paul Thomas, sentencing, also gave her a 1-year suspension and was told to complete 240 hours of unpaid work.
Because Carrod had no available assets, a nominal £5 ($6.50) confiscation order was made.
Carrod has 28 days to pay the $6.50, if she fails to do so, she will face 7 days in prison.