28 May 2024 , 07:44
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A care home worker who admitted stealing thousands of pounds from a pensioner flashed apparent gold and diamond jewellery as she left court.
Pauline Gilhooly, who took money from an elderly woman's bank account, wore diamond rings on both hands along what looked like multiple gold rings, a large gold-coloured watch and a designer bracelet.
The 63-year-old showed no emotion as she admitted forging Rosemarie Simpson’s signatures on cheques to transfer large sums of cash from the pensioner’s account to her own bank. She was initially accused of swindling her victim out of a total of £21,000 by forging 10 cheques over a four-year period between 13 May 2010 and 24 July 2015.
But when her case called for trial at Livingston Sheriff Court on Monday, Gilhooly’s defence solicitor Hannah Wade said she was pleading guilty to stealing the lesser sum of £8,000 by cashing in five fraudulent cheques.
Gilhooly will be sentenced on July 11 (Vic Rodrick <vic.rodrick@gmail.com>)Ms Wade said Gilhooly, who had previously denied obtaining the money by fraud, admitted that she had committed the offence at the Holmes Gardens Care Home in Broxburn, West Lothian, over a 30-month period between 10 February 2013 and 24 July 2015, reported the Daily Record.
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Chris Yule, prosecuting, said the plea to the reduced charge was accepted and revealed that Gilhooly had no previous convictions. The court was told that having formed the fraudulent scheme, Gilhooly presented five forged cheques at Santander Bank and induced the bank to transfer the funds from the care home resident’s account to one in her own name.
Sheriff Valerie Mays commented: “Obviously this is a significantly reduced figure, but it’s still a substantial amount. Notwithstanding the age of the offence I think it’s a case where reports will be required before sentence.”
Turning to Gilhooly, she said: “I’m not going to be able to deal with this matter today given the nature of the offence. “I’m going to defer sentence and call for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.
“My purpose is to get further information about you and your own personal circumstances, about details of the offence and about the sentencing options available to the court.” The sheriff asked the Crown to prepare a written narrative to be given to the sentencing sheriff in advance of the next hearing. Gilhooly was ordered to return to court for sentencing on July 11.