No action over will fraud claim
Oct 5 2007 by Dave Black, The Journal
A CARE worker sacked over an allegation that she tried to pocket £10,000 by altering a vulnerable pensioner’s will not face prosecution, it was revealed yesterday.
The female carer – who was employed by Northumberland County Council – was dismissed by the authority following an internal investigation into her conduct.
She had been suspended after an allegation was made that she tried to obtain £10,000 by changing the terms of the pensioner’s will.
Following her sacking, the county council referred the case to Northumbria Police, who launched an investigation into a possible criminal offence of deception.
Yesterday it was revealed that the former carer will not be taken to court, following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.
The Crown Prosecution Service. examined the police file on the affair but lawyers decided there is insufficient evidence to justify a prosecution. Last night a Northumbria Police spokesman said: “A file was passed to the CPS for consideration but the matter has now been passed back to Northumberland County Council, and there will be no further involvement by police.”
The Journal revealed earlier this year that the carer – who has not been identified – had been suspended by county council social services officials.
The decision was taken pending the outcome of an internal investigation into a claim that she fraudulently attempted to obtain money from the will of her elderly client.
The allegation came to light after a £10,000 bequest apparently left to the home care worker by the pensioner was queried by a concerned relative.
A letter had been sent to the pensioner’s solicitor, purporting to come from his elderly client, asking for the will to be amended to include the bequest to the carer. But after one of the pensioner’s relatives raised the matter with the county council, officers had the handwriting on the letter examined by the forensic science service and the analysis was said to have confirmed that the terms of the will had been changed on instructions written by the care worker, not the pensioner.
The worker was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing attended by the authority’s anti-fraud auditor.
The council has confirmed that the £10,000 bequest was never paid.
Yesterday a county council spokesman said: “As a result of an internal investigation a member of staff was dismissed.
“We then took appropriate action in referring the case to the police. We have since been informed of the outcome of their inquiries.”
He said the former employee had now run out of time to lodge an appeal against her dismissal.
