A FORMER councillor "cynically manipulated" an elderly widower and stole more than £45,000 from his bank account, a court heard.

Stephanie Todd was said to have been in "dire financial straits" when the thieving spree took place, and also induced the pensioner to change his will.

The alleged victim was aged 94 when Ms Todd "took him under her wing" after finding him confused and wandering around the town centre in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court heard that the retired BT worker had no living family to look after him, and Ms Todd started caring for him in August 2013.

Within a few months, she was "rearranging" his financial affairs, prosecutor Paul Newcombe said, and "exerting undue influence" over him.

She knew the contents of his will, accused his solicitors of not doing their job properly and tried to change a Lasting Power of Attorney.

"She professed to be angry at the solicitors," said Mr Newcombe, "and somewhat bizarrely made a passing reference to [the man's] will.

"The defendant knew the contents of the will and that a lot of money was being left to cats, the Cats Protection League.

"The defendant seemed dismayed at this and commented – despite being told by the solicitor that it was none of her business – that this would leave some very rich cats."

Mr Newcombe asked the jury of six men and six women: "Why had Ms Todd been enquiring into the will? Does this reveal her true motive, ie that she was propelled by greed and self-interest? The Crown say her remark is very telling as it shows precisely that.

"At the time, however, she seemed to be acting in [the man's] interests. In this regard she was most convincing. She told them that she was a local councillor, ie. held a trusted position in the public eye and she eventually won over the solicitor’s trust."

Ms Todd, of Shute Road, Catterick Garrison, denies a charge of theft and will be on trial for the rest of the week.

After her arrest last year, the former Richmondshire District Councillor, 57, insisted she had not been dishonest and said at all times she was acting in the OAP's best interests with his welfare being paramount.

Mr Newcombe said: "She abused her position of trust as a carer by stealing his money and exerting undue influence over him, inducing him to alter his will in her favour and trying to obtain legal control of his affairs by cynically manipulating him.

"There is no doubt that the defendant was providing some element of care for [the man] during this period, and so would no doubt have spent some of his money on him.

"But the Crown’s case is that so much is withdrawn that the inevitable inference is that it could not have all been spent on him and a picture builds that the defendant has been using the card to spend on herself.

"She said that she had found him wandering a street in Richmond, confused, and she took him under her wing so to speak and began to help him.

"Was this a cynical exercise on her part, targeting a vulnerable man for her own purposes or was this simply the act of good Samaritan? This is the central issue in this case. The Crown say that, sadly, the evidence points to the former."

In two recorded interviews played to the jury yesterday, the pensioner – too frail to give evidence in court – was asked by a police officer: "Were you happy to make a new will?"

Using hand signals to answer some questions, he put his thumb down.

He said he had never taken £300 at a time from a cashpoint machine, and said he would not need up to £2,900 a month expenditure.

Mr Newcombe said when Ms Todd was arrested, the man's debit card was found at her home, along with bank statements she had prevented going to his previous solicitors.

The case continues.