April Jo Richardson, 32, of Chelmsford, has avoided jail when she was sentenced after being found guilty of fraud by abuse of power and false representation at Inner London Crown Court.

Richardson was sentenced to 30 months in prison, suspended for 21 months. She was also given 150 hours of unpaid work and a 24-day rehabilitation programme.

The dementia carer defrauded the vulnerable old age pensioner out of £143,000 over a four-year period to fund her lavish lifestyle, which included trips to Barbados, New York and Spain.

The fraud started in 2018 when Richardson was employed by KarePlus, on behalf of Essex County Council, as a carer.  She cared for a patient who had suffered a stroke in 2011 and was in advancing stages of dementia, which meant her condition required personal care twice a day.