A CARER has been accused of taking thousands of pounds from an elderly patient and using her debit card to pay for groceries, dog food and cosmetics.
Sandra Natalie Jardim De Sousa (43) denied 12 offences at the start of her trial in the Royal Court – four offences of larceny and eight of obtaining goods under false pretences – by fraudulently using the woman’s cards in various St Helier shops.
Crown Advocate Christina Hall, prosecuting, said the woman – who is now 80 and “in every way a vulnerable lady” – hired care provider Aurum after a major surgery. As she was housebound, carers were to help with tasks like cleaning and cooking. Ms De Sousa had been given PIN codes to the woman’s bank cards, she said.
The card “was used to the defendant’s benefit without the complainant’s knowledge”, she alleged.
But, by the time the elderly woman and her niece received an alert from the bank, “[her] money had been drained to an almost nil balance”, Advocate Hall argued.
From there, it is alleged that Ms De Sousa had, during an 18-week period, made a number of cash withdrawals and purchases using the woman’s card.
Advocate Hall laid out a long list of purchases made with the woman’s cards, including makeup, hair products, energy drinks, dog food, rosé wine, medicines, chocolate milkshake, sweets, age-restricted products called “Peach Beach” and “Christmas on the Beach”, popping candies and fruit yule loaf.
When the list of items was put to the alleged victim, she told the court she did not recognise some of the products – including Serrano ham and various cosmetics.
She accepted that she might have bought some grocery items, but would not have purchased – among others – chickpeas, chorizo, cocktail sausages and sweets.
It is also accepted that the woman does not have any pets – which meant the dog food and dog chews could only have been for Ms De Sousa’s dogs, according to Advocate Hall.
And 40 transactions showed that a total of £10,070 in cash were taken from the woman’s bank account at cash machines – a figure which would include some legitimate withdrawals, the court heard.
It would be difficult to figure out exactly how much De Sousa allegedly took, the prosecutor acknowledged, but told the jury that “there are clear occasions when it can be proved she used the debit card inappropriately for her own benefit”.
The woman’s monthly expenses were normally around £996, but during that 18-week period they increased to £3,595.65. At the end, her account had gone from a balance of £8,944 to £319.36. She also had a credit card balance of £909.66.
Ms De Sousa is alleged to have spent around £7,000 illicitly.
Giving evidence, the 80-year-old described how she had been house-bound, and spent her day watching TV, while carers cooked for her.
Advocate Frances Littler, defending, put to the woman that some of the transactions happened when other care staff were on shift – meaning it was not Ms De Sousa who made the purchases.
She read out notes from the care provider, where Ms De Sousa described having been asked to make some purchases and withdraw money.
The Deputy Bailiff Mark Temple is presiding over the trial. The trial, which is expected to last four days, continues.
