Cornwall woman who stole £15k from 99-year-old gran jailed
BBCA Cornwall woman who stole thousands of pounds from her 99-year-old grandmother by marriage has been jailed.
Marina Davey, 49, took two bank cards from Gertrude Davey and used them to steal nearly £15,000 from her accounts.
Sentencing her at Truro Crown Court on Friday, Judge Simon Carr said the fraud had a "catastrophic effect" on the "vulnerable" Mrs Davey's well being.
Davey, of Trelawney Road, St Agnes, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of fraud.
Emily Pitts, prosecuting, said Mrs Davey's son noticed the money was missing after his mother was taken into hospital and he was granted power of attorney over her financial affairs.
The court heard Davey suffered from chronic depression and Curt Lewis, for the defence, said she was "vague" about what happened to the money.
He said she did not buy any luxury items for herself but did buy festival tickets for family and meals for friends "with granny's money".
Mr Lewis said: "The money has been frittered."
Judge Carr said the offence was "truly depressing" and added: "You assisted in the care of your grandmother by marriage.
"She was 99 years old and in poor health and ... you stole two of her credit cards."
He said she then "hid" bank statements that arrived at Mrs Davey's house to cover up her actions.
Davey, who pleaded guilty to fraud at an earlier hearing, also had a previous caution for obtaining money raised for equipment for a play group she chaired in 2001.
