A COUPLE who stole £16,000 from a vulnerable man will spent Christmas behind bars.

Emma Durkin was initially hired to do shopping, cleaning and pay rent for the victim, who had mobility issues, in January 2020.

However, she and her partner, Adam Waugh, quickly began using the victim’s bank card for other transactions, withdrawing cash and even paying for hotel rooms.

Durkin, 31, would attend the bank with the victim to make him withdraw hundreds of pounds meant to pay his rent but then spend it on herself instead.

Bank staff became suspicious when they noticed £10,000 had been withdrawn over just a few months and notified the victim who confirmed the fraud.

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The couple, of Collingwood Street, Coundon, initially denied conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, between January 1 and April 28, 2020, when they appeared in court in March.

Durkin also denied a second charge of theft of £100.

However, she changed her pleas to guilty on the day of her trial for the fraud count in August.

Waugh, 40, denied the charges but was convicted by a jury in his absence at trial.

The pair went on the run but after information from the public, were traced and put before the court on Wednesday.

Durkin was sentenced to a total of 37 months in prison and handed an extra four weeks for breaking her bail condition.

Waugh was also sent to prison. He was handed a 42-month sentence with an extra six weeks for breaking his bail conditions.

For advice on how to protect yourself against fraudsters visit www.actionfraud.org.uk

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