AN ELDERLY dementia sufferer died without ever knowing his trusted son had stolen from him more than £20,000, a court heard today (Tuesday, December 2).

Robert Simpson died in his 90s in October but due to his dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease never understood his son, also called Robert, stole £23,387.52 between March 2010 and January this year, Durham Crown Court was told.

Today, Simpson Junior was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months for the theft.

The 62-year-old was legally responsible for his father’s finances but instead of using council-allocated cash to pay the £618-a-month costs of his care at St Margaret’s Care Home, on Crossgate, Durham City, he spent it himself.

A self-employed roofer, Simpson had found himself unable to work for health reasons and siphoned the money to pay his own bills, Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said.

Simpson, of Alington Place, Gilesgate, Durham City, pleaded guilty to a single charge of theft at a previous hearing.

Tony Davis, for Simpson, said his client had already started paying back £100 to the council.

Having previously worked all his life, his carpal tunnel syndrome had left his business with problems, Mr Davis added.

However, Simpson is awaiting surgery on both hands, hopes to resume work and would then increase his repayments to £400 a month, he said.

Sentencing, Judge Robert Adams told Simpson: “You kept out of trouble for many, many years. Otherwise, you’ve lived a law abiding life.

“You knew full well you were trusted to look after his (father’s) financial affairs as if they were your own and you fully admit you didn’t do that.”

However, the judge noted Simpson had started making repayments and said sending him to prison would achieve absolutely nothing.

“I’m sure you’re not going to trouble the court again,” he added.

Simpson will be supervised by the probation service for 18 months and will have to pay a £100 victim surcharge, but Judge Adams said it would not be appropriate to order any compensation.