A woman who stole tens of thousands of pounds from her father who has dementia has been spared jail.
Lyndsey Amos, 49, spent her father’s money on holidays, shopping abroad and beauty treatments.
She helped herself to the cash after being given power of attorney for her father’s finances due to his declining health.
Her offending came to light when the monthly payments to her dad’s residential carers stopped, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
A financial analysis revealed she had been regularly spending her dad’s money, with large cash withdrawals totalling £18,516.26 and purchases made on websites her dad would not have used.
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The total loss amounted to £38,251.93.
Amos, from Long Eaton, Derbyshire, was handed an 18-month prison term, suspended for two years. She will also complete 15 rehabilitation sessions.
Judge Stuart Rafferty KC told Amos she should never have been given the responsibility of power of attorney and it was a ‘blessing’ her dad did not know she had ‘let him down.’
The judge said: ‘There are many different signs of grief, and sometimes the loss of a relative has a profound effect on a person, which can lead to the loss of their moral compass.
‘Some people might take to drink or drugs and some people might close the door, walk away and never see the person again.
‘You ended up getting in a mess. You might have said to yourself: “I will just borrow it until next week then I will pay it back again”.
‘But once you cross that bridge, there is no turning back and the next stage is you are chasing the money.
‘In many ways, you should be relieved you were caught. The biggest blessing of all in this case is your father had no idea how you let him down.
‘If you have not yet said sorry to him then just go and see him and do so.’
Amos’s father developed dementia in 2015 and she was put in charge of his finances the following year.
He entered residential care in Buxton. In January 2023, the home contacted the local council to say his money was ‘depleted’ and his £3,300 monthly costs had not been met since October 2022.
Amons pleaded guilty to fraud and her defence barrister, Nicola Hornby, said she was adhering to a repayment plan, adding: ‘There is a history of debt and she has got herself into this situation.
‘She is someone who should not ever have taken on the position and she did not want to.’
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