Caregiver who posed as elderly patient at bank sentenced to 16 months

WHETSTONE, England, March 12 (UPI) -- A 47-year-old British caregiver who disguised herself as an 81-year-old Alzheimer's patient to steal from her bank account was sentenced to 16 months in jail.

Leicester Crown Court heard Linda Cramphorn, 47, of Whetstone, England, was working as a caregiver for the elderly Alzheimer's patient through Quorndon Care from February 2013 through June and she admitted to stealing the older woman's personal documents and check book, the Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

Cramphorn disguised herself as an elderly woman when she visited a branch of the Halifax bank June 28 and posed as the Alzheimer's patient, the court heard. She was able to withdraw $664 from the woman's account, but raised suspicions when she sought a $36,531 banker's draft.

Bank workers contacted police, and Cramphorn and Sanjay Patel, 43, who was waiting for her outside, were arrested.

Cramphorn and Patel both pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and each was sentenced to 16 months in prison.