Mum Rebecca Culley, 34, was given permission to buy ‘bits-and-bobs’ on her grandfather’s card – but she emptied his bank account
Rebecca Culley, 34, outside court(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) LTD)
A mum who stole £90,000 from her elderly grandfather has been spared jail after admitting the thefts took place whilst she was suffering from ”spoilt brat syndrome.” Mum-of-three Rebecca Culley, 34, set up online banking for widower Thomas Culley, who is in his 70s, after agreeing to help care for him.
But when he generously allowed her to use his debit card to buy ”bits and bobs,” she secretly stole all his savings over a two year period to treat herself to household items. Police were called after Mr Culley’s HSBC account was left empty following the thefts.
It emerged his granddaughter from Seneschal Court in Runcorn, Cheshire, who graduated in psychology and counselling at Staffordshire University had bought ”multiple items” with the stolen money – spending £2,500 on his Argos store card to buy Christmas presents for her children.
When quizzed, Culley insisted her grandfather had given her permission to use his banks cards but she later confessed to being a ”spoilt brat” who had taken advantage of his generosity.
At Chester Crown Court, Culley admitted three charges of theft and was sentenced to 20-months jail suspended for two years. A fourth charge alleging she stole jewellery from Mr Culley was ordered to lie on file.
‘He trusted her’
The thefts happened between March 2021 and February 2023 after Culley split her living arrangements between her own home and that of Mr Culley to help care for him.
Prosecutor Miss Alexandra Carrier said: “He trusted her with a bank card and credit card and the defendant assisted with day to day shopping and in his own words with ‘bits and bobs’.
“He was generous but did not give the defendant free range to use the account and without his knowledge. However, she had set up online banking and was able to carry out contactless payments and transactions online.
“She bought multiple items and spent considerable amounts of money using the victim’s account. The matter only came to an end when the current account was emptied. There has been a breach of a high degree of trust and an element of sophistication and planning. There is significant value and emotional distress.”
Rebecca Culley, 34, from Runcorn stole £90,000 from her elderly grandfather (Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) LTD)
An investigation revealed Culley transferred money to her own account on at least 100 occasions and used contactless payments to purchase over 57 items. The total loss was £90,360.11 – but HSBC have since refunded Mr Culley. He declined to provide a victim personal statement.
In mitigation, defence counsel Mr Simeon Evans said: “Miss Culley was raised by her grandparents as there was a difficult background in respect of both her natural parents. What she should have been was eternally grateful to her grandparents.
“She first moved in at a time when her grandmother was very ill and she took a considerable part in caring for her for daily needs at the time and helped care for her. She was very much present at the time her grandmother died. She was there and it had an effect on her.
“There is a degree of insight. I hope your honour will accept that when she does express remorse it is genuine. This may seem ironic but she very much misses the emotional support of her grandfather who was a father figure. She has robbed herself of that.”
‘You were stealing money hand over fist’
In sentencing Judge Steven Everett said: “I accept her grandfather clearly wanted her to receive what seems to be significant amounts of money. Nevertheless she was taking money when he did not know about it, in amounts that he did not know about. She hit the nail on the head herself when she said that what she suffered from was spoilt brat syndrome.
”But he has shown generosity of spirit by choosing not to provide a victim personal statement. There seems to be a suggestion that he was looking for a sentence that would be a mixture of punishment and rehabilitation and I am not going to ignore his words.”
He also told Culley to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and six months of mental health treatment, adding: “You had a difficult childhood through no fault of your own and at some stage you came to regard your grandmother and grandfather effectively as your alternative parents. They obviously cared for you and it is clear that your grandfather was very generous to you.
“But you took advantage of that generosity at a difficult time when your grandmother had just died. You were stealing money hand over fist belonging to him without his knowledge. That was a significant breach of trust he placed in you and when you were helping to care for him.
“I recognise that you were helping to care for him but nevertheless at the same time, you were stealing money from him. On the one hand there is a sense of betrayal and severe disappointment and on the other hand, he is not able to bring himself to prepare a personal statement because undoubtedly he will still have strong feelings for you. That perhaps shows the conflict of emotions that he will be feeling.
“I suspect your grandfather will look at this and ask himself ‘What did I do to my granddaughter that made her do these things to me?’ That is something you have to live with.”
