Chorley woman steals thousands from grieving grandfather to fund cocaine addiction

A woman has been jailed after stealing thousands of pounds from a grieving grandfather to spend on drugs, tattoos and takeaways.

Nicole Taylor, from Chorley, managed to steal £34,000 from Norman Glover who she cared for following his dementia diagnosis.

The 25-year old used the money to fund her cocaine habits and pay for multiple holidays and a car.

The pensioner was devastated by the deception and said he had "lost everything", including the choice of which care home he would live in after Taylor used up his life savings.

Preston Crown Court heard how Mr Glover and his wife Julie, who died in June 2020, supported Taylor when her mother was unable to.

David Clarke, prosecuting, said Mr and Mrs Glover had children from previous marriages and that Taylor was the daughter of one of Mrs Glover's children.

In 2020, concerns grew regarding whether the couple could look after themselves after their health began to deteriorate.

Mr Glover's daughter, Caroline Spindler, was quite concerned as she lives in Oxfordshire and could not visit the pair regularly.

Ms Spindler, who continued to check on her dad's welfare, was told that Taylor was given power of attorney.

She recalled how on one occasion when she visited, there was no food in the fridge and wet clothes appeared to have been left in the washing machine for some time.

In May 2020, a month before Mrs Glover passed away, Taylor had already begun taking money from Mr Glover's account and the thefts carried on until July 2021.

She had been given permission to access his bank account but only to pay for maintenance for his house.

However, she used it to fund a cocaine addiction along with treats for herself including takeaways and tattoos.

Mr Glover soon found out and his daughter took the bank statements to the police.

When interviewed, Taylor, who has worked in care and at a pub, admitted stealing the money and explained that she had been "off my face on cocaine" for much of that time.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Glover said: "I am incredibly disappointed in a person I thought the world of.

"I am hurt that a loving and caring girl that I treated like my own could do this to me.

"This will never go away and I will never like anyone else to find themselves in the same situation."

He said that he had lost everything including being able to choose his own retirement home, adding: "Your grandmother would be ashamed of you."

Defending, Jane Miller said Taylor deeply regretted what she had done and had wrote a letter of apology to Mr Glover after she was arrested.

Ms Miller also said she intended to pay back the money and planned to hand over her share of an upcoming house sale towards it.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC described Taylor's behaviour during that time as "living on an almighty bender" on her grandfather's life savings, adding that it was an "enormous breach of trust".

He said there was no appropriate alternative to jail and sentenced her to 14 months in prison.