A WOMAN who drained £10,000 of her grandmother’s money in seven months, was jailed for a year for the “gross breach of trust”.

Gayle Louise Price visited her grandmother every day and helped her with her shopping and other expenditure at a time when the 81-year-old widow was starting to suffer with dementia.

But, Durham Crown Court heard that concern was raised by her care home and bank over large withdrawals of cash from her account, last December

Rupert Doswell, prosecuting, said Price was challenged by her father, and admitted having taken money from the account and spent it herself, but claimed she could explain her actions.

She was not believed, however, and police were contacted, as Price was subject to other inquiries at the time over missing charity cash, for which she was on bail, and went on to receive a suspended prison sentence.

Asked about withdrawals over preceding months from her grandmother’s account she admitted having used an ATM in Peterlee to obtain what has subsequently been estimated to be £6,810.

Price also used her grandmother’s bank card for other purchases, amounting to £3,190.

But Mr Doswell told the court other legitimate purchases made on her grandmother’s behalf.

Appearing at a plea hearing via video link from Low Newton Prison, Durham, the 37-year-old defendant, of Pickard Close, Peterlee, admitted two charges of theft, one covering the cash withdrawals and the other accounting for the other purchases, but totalling £10,000.

The court heard she has previous offences of obtaining by deception, in 2007, and making false representation to make a gain for which she received the suspended prison sentence.

Jane Waugh, mitigating, told the court: “Her grandmother had allowed her to borrow money when she was out of work, but there came a point when she realised she was taking more than her grandmother would have allowed.”

Miss Waugh said the offending was against a background of the defendant’s own mental health difficulties and epilepsy, which caused her to miss an earlier hearing in proceedings.

Jailing her, Judge Christopher Prince told Price: “Stealing in the way you did was a gross breach of trust.

“It was an extremely mean thing to do, particularly at a time when you had to go to court over other dishonesty.”