Hartlepool Couple Jailed After Stealing Life Savings

20 September 2013, 16:05 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A Hartlepool couple who wiped out a 91 year old dementia sufferer's life savings by helping themselves to her bank accounts have been jailed.

56 year old Lesley Reeve, and her 55 year old husband Andrew, spent all but £3,000 of her godmother Joan Killen's £130,000 after the pensioner allowed him to be in charge of her bank accounts.

The judge said they were guilty of a gross breach of trust and although they had been hard-working throughout their lives, he branded them "utterly materialistic''.

The couple cleared debts, bought a car for one of their two sons and spent thousands on electrical goods and presents for themselves.

They also spent some of the money on converting the garage of their home in Chichester Close into a wet room and gym, but told police the work was really to make it into a bedroom for "Aunty Joan'', who by then was living in a care home.

They claimed they loved Miss Killen and said she was happy for them to spend her savings as they saw fit, as she was going to leave them everything in her will.

 Miss Killen, who is still alive, is now relying on the state to pay for her care costs.

The pair have been sentenced to two and a half years in prison.