A woman who stole more than £16,000 from her housebound grandmother and went on a month-long shopping spree has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Molly Elizabeth Kelly, 24, of Compton Road, Southport, used her grandmother's bank cards to take the money from the 78-year-old, who was described as vulnerable. The thefts occurred daily between October and November 2024.
Kelly appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday November 3 for sentencing after pleading guilty to theft.
Court hears how the thefts happened
Ian Hopkins, prosecuting, said: "Her grandmother is 78. She was not in good health; she was housebound at the time. The defendant was living with her as she was caring for her, and that is in fact how she gained access to her grandmother's funds."
He added that the grandmother did not wish to provide a victim statement but was "obviously extremely distressed" and had gone to trouble speaking to the bank to try to get her money back.
Kelly had one previous conviction for theft from her employer in 2023, when she received a conditional discharge.
Judge criticises spending spree
Judge Simon Medland KC said: "If you steal £16,000 from BP, it's neither here nor there. If you steal £16,000 from your grandmother, that's an awful lot of money. In fact it's £570 a day that she has gone away with. What was she spending £570 a day on for a month?"
Lucy Moran, defending, said Kelly could not remember the exact purchases but claimed the money was spent on "general shopping". Moran also noted that Kelly had been in hospital since October 29 and had a difficult upbringing.
The judge said Kelly's mother's addiction to class A drugs led to her having a disrupted childhood and early adolescence. Moran said Kelly remained a carer for her grandmother, whose health was deteriorating rapidly.
Sentence handed down
Sentencing, Judge Medland said: "You took that relationship, crumpled it up and threw it away because you began to thieve from her." He noted the theft amounted to more than £500 a day, about £4,000 a week, and represented a big part of her grandmother's savings, including her deceased husband's insurance policy payment.
Kelly was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 16 months, with a probation requirement and an extended curfew of three months. The judge warned that further offences would leave the court with no option but to sentence her to prison.
