A 43-YEAR-OLD woman who stole more than £16,000 from her grandmother who had dementia has been given an 18-month suspended sentence – and ordered to pay the money back.
Carla Allo, a mother of four, was told she was guilty of “a callous and selfish exploitation of a position of trust”, but was spared prison.
The Royal Court heard that Allo had been put jointly in charge of her 83-year-old grandmother’s finances after the grandmother was diagnosed with dementia.
Crown Advocate Adam Harrison, prosecuting, said that between June and October 2021, Allo took money from her grandmother’s account to spend on food, leisure activities and her own family.
Crown Advocate Harrison described the crime as “a relationship of trust which has been violated by the offender”.
Citing similar cases in the past, he said it would be met with “a custodial sentence in all but the most exceptional circumstances”.
Speaking in mitigation, Advocate David Steenson argued that it was an exceptional case.
Allo had pleaded guilty to theft when she first appeared in the Magistrate’s Court and has no previous convictions.
He said Allo had many positive character references that spoke of her honesty and trustworthiness and told the court: “There was always an intention to repay the money. This is a hard-working, reliable woman who has always repaid her debts.”
He added: “A custodial sentence is not inevitable in every breach of trust case. A generous court may think there are different option to custody.”
Allo has already repaid just over £7,000 of the money she took. However, Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae said: “We do not find and cannot find exceptional circumstances.
“Our view is that this was a gross breach of trust, and a callous and selfish exploitation of a position of trust.”
But he added that sparing her prison would allow her to continue working in order to pay back the remainder of the money. Her sentence suspended for two years.
The Jurats sitting were Jane Ronge and Alison Opferman.
