Manager abused trust and stole £4,100 from elderly residents at Sussex care home

Bryony Treloar was jailed today for her offences

The manager of a Sussex care home spent two years fleecing elderly residents out of a shocking £4,000.

Bryony Treloar was entrusted with caring for 70 vulnerable people at Summerley Care Home in Southview Road.

However she admitted in court today that she abused the trust placed in her and stole for her own personal gain.

Treloar, 39, of Dorset Road in Bognor, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation at Worthing Magistrates’ Court this morning.

Residents at the Summerley Care Home in Bognor Regis had more than 4,100 stolen from them. Picture: Google Streetview

'She had formed a close bond with the residents while simultaneously taking their money'

Prosecutor Gaynor Byng said the offences came to light in November last year, but many of her victims will never be compensated as they have sadly died.

“She was away on holiday at the time of that discovery and the care home owner suspended her upon her return.

“She immediately admitted that she had been taking the residents’ cash for personal use over a two year period.”

The court heard that Treloar said she wanted to repay the money and has paid back over £2,000 of the £4,138.94 total amount stolen.

“She had been in the position for over seven years and I am told had formed a close and trusting bond with the residents while simultaneously taking their money from them."

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Stole money to fund a new home

The court heard that Treloar started stealing the money after falling on hard times.

The prosecutor continued: “She said that she had recently been divorced, needed to find a place to live and started to take residents’ cash in order to help her out of her financial situation.

“Even when she was back on her feet financially she continued to steal from them.

“She was deliberately targeting them because they were an easy target.”

Treloar has paid back more than £2,000

Defence solicitor Rachel Roberts said Treloar is a ‘lady who has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and has no previous convictions’.

“It is unarguable there was a breach of trust and those were vulnerable victims.”

She cited Treloar’s previous good character and pointed to the fact that she had repaid a substantial amount of the money.

Jailed for her long-running fraud

Treloar was jailed for a year for the offences, six months for each charge to run consecutively.

She was also ordered to pay £1,960.94 in compensation to Summerley Care Home.