Worthing fraudster 'abused her position of trust' to con elderly woman out of thousands
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Sussex Police said Melanie Stanbridge, of Maybridge Square, Worthing, stole from a 94-year-old woman, who she was caring for.
“She abused her position of trust when caring for her 94-year-old victim, regularly withdrawing hundreds of pounds from her bank account when she was believed to be spending £30 a week on shopping,” a police spokesperson said.
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Hide AdThe 46-year-old’s actions became known when police were contacted with concerns around her behaviour at the end of October 2020.
Stanbridge was suspended from work whilst the investigation took place. She was arrested and released on bail – before being further arrested for failing to appear in court for her plea hearing, police said.
On October 31 this year, Stanbridge pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position and returned to Brighton Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, December 13. She was handed a 27-month custodial sentence.
Detective Constable Jordan Holmes, of the serious and complex crime unit, said: “Melanie Stanbridge took advantage of an elderly woman she was supposed to be taking care of, brazenly using her debit card at every opportunity and depositing these large sums of money into her own bank account.
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Hide Ad“I welcome her sentence and thank my colleagues for their unwavering determination to ensure that justice was served.
“Sussex Police will always deal with opportunistic criminals robustly, and I urge the public to continue reporting any such instances to us at the earliest opportunity.”