Woman Lands in Jail for Snagging £75K from Her Mom with Dementia

In a striking turn of events, a Yorkshire woman, entrusted with the care of her ailing mother, has been imprisoned for exploiting her position and misusing £75,000 for personal gains.

Elizabeth Frances Bond, a 50-year-old professional career, faced the legal consequences at Bradford Crown Court on March 7, after she confessed to committing fraud by exploiting her role, which led to significant financial loss to her late mother, Sylvia Bond. The court heard how the pair, residing in Skipton, faced a drastic change in their lives when Sylvia, diagnosed with dementia at 69 in 2012, became increasingly dependent on Elizabeth and her partner.

Granted control over her mother’s financial affairs in 2014, Elizabeth’s responsibilities amplified when Sylvia was deemed incapable of independent decision-making by social services a year later. Following this, Sylvia was moved to a care facility, and her property was sold for £183,000, a sum Elizabeth was to manage for her mother’s care expenses.

However, Elizabeth and her partner, struggling with housing due to the mandated property sale, diverted £20,000 of Sylvia’s funds to secure accommodation for themselves. Their financial mismanagement came to light in 2017, prompting an investigation by the Office of the Public Guardian and subsequent police involvement, revealing expenditures on personal luxuries, including a car and gaming equipment, from Sylvia’s account.

Despite Elizabeth’s defense highlighting her dedication to caring work and the close bond she shared with her mother, the court found her actions to have significantly burdened public resources, leading to a 28-month prison sentence. The judge emphasized the breach of trust and the indirect impact on public finances, underscoring the gravity of Elizabeth’s misconduct.