Sheffield couple jailed after stealing £95,000 from elderly dementia sufferer
The pair both admitted to stealing more than £95,000 from an elderly woman with dementia
Last updated 15th Oct 2021
A couple from Sheffield have been jailed after stealing £95,000 from an elderly woman suffering with dementia who was living in a care home.
David Ripley, aged 57 and his partner at the time Tracey Cooke, aged 51, “exploited and defrauded” the victim, and stole more than £95,000 over a 4-year period, which started in 2014.
But it wasn't until 2018 when the Office of the Public Guardian alerted South Yorkshire Police after bank statements showed substantial cash withdrawals had been made from the victim’s savings.
Officers launched an investigation and found a host of fraudulent transactions.
The funds were taken from the victim’s savings account, with hundreds of cash withdrawals made without the victim’s knowledge or consent.
On September 30, Ripley was jailed for 39 months for fraud and Cooke was given a suspended sentence and 150 hours of unpaid work.
Investigating officer PC Lynn Robins said:
“This was a shocking campaign of deceit, in which Ripley and Cooke exploited and defrauded the victim, who tragically died whilst the case was being investigated.
“Through various agencies working together to protect society’s most vulnerable, we were able to launch an investigation and bring them to justice.”