Care worker ordered to repay £80,000 to victims

A care worker in Ellesmere Port has been ordered to repay the money she stole from elderly victims.

Karen Kersey-Smith, of Wheat Close in Gwersyllt in Wrexham, stole over £90,000 from three vulnerable victims between November 2015 to September 2017.

The 49-year-old withdrew money from their bank accounts without their knowledge or permission.

The offences came to light after Kersey-Smith allegedly confessed to her manager that she had been stealing from one of her clients.

The money was found to have been withdrawn from the victims at an alarming rate.

It was being used in supermarkets and stores that the victims would not have visiting.

Kersey-Smith was convicted of three counts of theft at Chester Crown Court and sentenced to 28 months on 4 June 2020.

Police uncovered £15,500 in Kersey-Smith’s bank account and an investigation found that she had an equity share of her home.

Kersey-Smith was also suspected to have purposefully omitted her name from the title deed in order to avoid confiscation proceedings.

The court ordered Kersey-Smith to repay £80,415 from the sale of her house.

Detective Inspector Kelly-Ann Cain, from Cheshire Constabulary's Economic Crime Unit, said: “Kersey-Smith was jailed for exploiting her position as a care worker for Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) by stealing a total of over £90,000 from the bank accounts of three elderly victims.

“A lengthy investigation set about trying to recover as much money for the victims as possible.

“Officers successfully argued that Kersey-Smith had an equity share of the marital home and it was suspected she had purposefully omitted her name from title deed to avoid confiscation proceedings.

“Kersey-Smith was subsequently ordered to repay all available funds, which has caused the sale of her house.

“As a result, £80,415 will be paid back to the victims.

“This is a fantastic result for the victims with Kersey-Smith being made to pay back the proceeds of her crimes.”