A man from Telford has been jailed for the theft in excess of £80,000 from his elderly aunt.
Kenneth Tranter, 50, of Doseley, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday 19 January.
Mr Tranter had limited power of attorney for his 75-year-old aunt who has been diagnosed with dementia. This limited power gave him access to her finances.
Direct payments were made by Telford & Wrekin Council into her bank account to pay for her care but it became apparent that one of the two care companies looking after her was not being paid. One particular care company was owed more than £29,000.
In January 2017, Telford & Wrekin Council began an investigation into Mr Tranter’s handling of his aunt’s money. The Council’s Investigation Team was joined by West Mercia Police’s Adults at Risk Unit.
They uncovered large scale financial abuse. They found that Mr Tranter failed to pay a number of care invoices and that some money had been transferred from his aunt’s bank account to his. In addition, 20,000 Euros in cash found in the elderly woman’s home by a carer had also gone missing.
Mr Tranter was found guilty of three counts of theft totalling more than £80,000 and was jailed for 12 months.
Cllr Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Enforcement said:
“This was a lengthy and detailed investigation which successfully uncovered large scale theft and financial abuse of an elderly and vulnerable woman by one of her own relatives.
“I welcome the sentence and thank the Investigation Teams for their work. This case has forged a close working relationship which is of benefit to both organisations.”
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