THE family of an elderly dementia sufferer spoke of their anger last night after a brother and sister who fleeced her out of more than £2,500 walked free.

George William Thompson and Eileen Ward were told to expect “substantial” sentences when they admitted fraud at an earlier court hearing.

But, both escaped being jailed yesterday (Friday September 5), after receiving suspended sentences.

The surprise outcome left both the family of their now 88-year-old victim, and detectives who oversaw the inquiry, angry and disillusioned.

Durham Crown Court heard the siblings, from Darlington, were seen with a Ford Transit van and gardening equipment outside the vulnerable woman's Chester-le-Street home, on March 25 last year.

Robin Turton, prosecuting, said the following day the woman, accompanied by a young boy, withdrew £1,260 in cash at a bank in Sunderland.

An hour later a suspicious assistant refused a similar request at a branch in Chester-le-Street.

Mr Turton said, “by chance” , a neighbour of the woman saw her getting into a van outside and reported it to police.

Officers pulled over the van, containing the defendants, as well as the boy and the victim.

Police recovered the £1,260 withdrawn earlier, from a notebook, bearing Thompson’s fingerprint, hidden among shrubbery removed from the victim's garden.

The court heard that among 26-year-old Ward’s previous convictions are offences of dishonesty, targeting elderly victims, while her 29-year-old brother was said to have a lesser record.

Shaun Dryden, for Thompson, said he charged the woman £75 for the work carried out, but returned the following day asking for further payment for “extra work” which needed doing.

“It wasn’t a case where he was going door-to-door targeting the elderly.

“But, he has to accept he acted opportunistically and, realising her age and vulnerability, saw it was an easy way to make money.”

Robert Smith, for Ward, told the court: “This offence was unpleasant, but to some extent she was accompanying her brother on what began as a legitimate activity.”

Mr Smith said it was, in part, an effort to get out of the house as she suffered depression at the time.

Judge Robert Adams said their attempt to obtain up to £2,520 from an obviously vulnerable victim was, “clearly despicable.”

But he said he had to take into account their ‘guilty’ pleas, the fact both spent time in custody and on curfew following their arrest, while neither has committed further offences.

“Bearing in mind sentencing guidelines, in reality you would spend little time inside and nothing would be achieved.

“It’s, therefore, appropriate, and more beneficial to the community, to suspend the sentences.”

Both were given three months prison sentences, suspended for two years, while Thompson, of Grainger Road, must also perform 150 hours unpaid work.

Ward, of Throstlenest Avenue, will also be subject to a three-month electronically-tagged 9pm – 8am home curfew.

The judge commended the vigilant bank assistant who refused the second bid to withdraw money from the victim’s account, raising her suspicions with her branch manager.

Following the case, the daughter and grand-daughter of the victim spoke of their “disappointment” at the sentence, in the light of the comments made to the defendants when they left court after last month’s plea hearing.

The officer overseeing the police inquiry, Detective Constable Marco Fantin, said he was also “disappointed” at the outcome, adding: “I’m concerned at the message it may send out, but we acknowledge the defendants did serve some time in custody before this case was brought to court.”