A UK caregiver has been handed a suspended sentence after stealing money from her client pay for gambling. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Busted by anonymous letter

A caregiver in the UK has avoided prison time after stealing from her client to gamble. 33-year-old Chloe Campion of Trafford in the Greater Manchester area pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse, but is fortunate that the judge suspended her 12-month prison sentence for 18 months.

Campion’s client, Joan Anderson, has Down’s Syndrome and dementia and clearly needs compassionate care. Campion, though, used Anderson’s bank card to pilfer £28,523 ($34,807) from December 2021 to May 2022; the money was used mostly to fund Campion’s gambling addiction.

still made a couple transactions after speaking with the police

Campion readily admitted to her crime after being questioned by police, though her transgressions were not found out until the head of the charity for which she worked received an anonymous letter about what was going on. And though she said she intended to pay everything back, she still made a couple transactions after speaking with the police. One big mistake she made was linking Anderson’s bank card to her PayPal account and not deleting the evidence.

Judge took pity on defendant

Campion’s defense attorney, Hannah Forsyth, said that she was suffering from PTSD, anxiety, and gambling addiction. She explained to the court that her client had been going through rough times for years; her PTSD emerged after giving birth in 2016, her partner was diagnosed with cancer and is still undergoing treatment, her grandfather passed away, and a café where she worked that assisted people with learning disabilities went out of business.

Forsyth assured the court that Campion had been attending both therapy and Gamblers Anonymous meetings in an effort to work through her struggles and is taking medication for anxiety.

Campion had repaid £17,088 ($20,853) of what she stole

The judge offered lenience because Campion had repaid £17,088 ($20,853) of what she stole, she has worked to address her mental health and addiction, and has children at home.

Not the first time, won’t be the last

Unfortunately, this is just another instance of someone taking abusing their position of trust to fuel their gambling. Just last month, former Australian MP Russell Northe received a 21-month prison sentence for using over AU$170,000 ($108,137) of the Victorian Electoral Commission’s gambling with the Tabcorp and Ladbrokes apps. He faked bank statements and receipts in an effort to conceal his misappropriation of funds.

In August, a UK man was handed a six-month suspended sentence for stealing his grandmother’s funeral savings to gamble.

Last year, another caregiver in England took advantage of the person under their care. Alana Squire stole over £45,000 ($55,004) from a disabled veteran to gamble online, upsetting the man so much that he attempted to take his own life.

And in the US, a bookkeeper for an Indiana school district embezzled almost $1m, using it for a bevy of personal expenses, including trips to casinos.