AN 80-YEAR-OLD woman whose money was allegedly stolen by a carer has told the Royal Court she was “shocked” when she saw her depleted bank account adding she had lost trust in those looking after her.
Her former carer, Sandra Natalie Jardim De Sousa (43) has denied four counts of larceny and eight of obtaining goods under false pretenses.
Ms De Sousa was entrusted with the elderly lady’s debit card to help with chores such as shopping, but is accused of using it to make purchases for herself – including an Apple Watch, Apple Airpods, a juicer and a hoover.
The alleged offences span an 18-week window when Ms De Sousa is accused of making 40 withdrawals from a cash machine with the woman’s bank card, and using it to buy products for herself.
Her family became suspicious after the bank raised concerns, the court heard.
Crown Advocate Christina Hall, prosecuting, asked the pensioner: “When you found out that money had been taken from your account, how did that make you feel?”
The woman replied: “Sick. Very upset.”
The prosecuter asked: “How did it make you feel about the carers that were coming into your home?”
“All trust had gone,” the woman replied.
Under cross-examination from Advocate Frances Littler, defending, the woman agreed that she relied on Ms De Sousa to do her shopping.
Looking at receipts for some of the purchases, Advocate Littler suggested the woman could not be sure that all the purchases – including a £271.18 shop at Marks & Spencer’s – were made by Ms De Sousa.
The woman told the court: “That’s not my shopping. I don’t recognise anything.”
Advocate Littler also questioned a £266.68 purchase from Boots on Christmas Eve in 2024, to which the alleged victim replied: “I can’t think of anything I would be buying Christmas Eve at Boots.”
Ms De Sousa, the court was told, accepted that she had bought an Apple Watch and Apple Airpods from Jersey Telecom for £344, but that she had used the woman’s card by accident.
Advocate Littler said: “Sandra accepts that she accidentally used your card for this purchase. She says she did so in a rush on a lunch-break for last-minute Christmas presents for her children.
“That’s because they were disappointed at a last-minute cancellation of a holiday – Sandra says she did not act dishonestly.”
The woman said she was “shocked” and that it was “a lot of money”.
A £146 purchase at Voisins was also made using the wrong card by accident, the advocate said.
She added: “Sandra does not recall making this purchase but she accepts that some of the items – the Tower juicer, the Beldray hoover – were for herself and she says that she had not been acting dishonestly.”
Advocate Littler added that the woman had on other occasions complained to the care company about items she thought were stolen, though the woman admitted that they were later found.
The jury trial is expected to last until the end of the week.
The Deputy Bailiff, Mark Temple, is presiding.
