POLICE have been accused of making mistakes in the trial of a carer who along with her solicitor husband is said to have ripped off a retired vicar and other elderly victims.

Clare Scott denies fraudulently levying excessive amounts for her services to the vicar which involved doing her shopping, making her meals and taking her to appointments.

She denies making false representations order to trade in the 78-year-old's Ford Focus in part payment for a VW Tiguan car for her and her solicitor husband Giles.

Mrs Scott, 62, from Stearsby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has also pleaded not guilty to seven offences of transferring criminal property and is on trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Giles Scott, a former partner at Langleys solicitor in York, has already admitted a series of fraud and theft charges in respect of the former Anglican priest and also three other elderly victims for whom he had power of attorney.

The pair are said by the prosecution to have been “robbing Peter to pay Paul” as they attempted to maintain a high spending lifestyle, despite overdrafts on their joint bank account which frequently topped £10,000.

Mr Scott stole more than £231,446 from the retired vicar, although more than £123,000 had been paid back.

Alastair Campbell, defending, said police had made mistakes with some of their analysis of what Mrs Scott charged the vicar.

But Stephen Wright, a financial investigator with North Yorkshire Police, said some of the figures used were “illustrative” and not intended to be exact.

There was also lengthy discussion over the cost of meals, with Mr Wright accused of “double counting”.

Mr Campbell said: “Mrs Scott has not excessively overcharged [the victim] for the provision of meals that she has cooked.”

Judge Peter Armstrong was also moved to seek clarification over some of the figures produced, telling the jury: “I hope it is not muddying the waters, but we need to be clear on this.”

The trial continues.