Callous carer 'cleared out' £59,000 from disabled Leeds man's bank accounts
Offender and his wife begged for mercy
A paid carer siphoned almost £59,000 from the bank accounts of a disabled man whom he was paid to help.
Charles Ikonwa had also been friends with the man for almost a decade, Leeds Crown Court heard.
The 46-year-old had himself been the victim of a sophisticated scam, so began diverting funds in 2022.
Prosecutor Tonicha Allen said the victim had been paralysed since 2008 and required care visits several times a day from different workers.
They had access to his bank cards, but it was agreed to withdraw just £50 a time. However, only Ikonwa had access to the man’s online banking.
The victim became suspicious in 2023 and his fears were confirmed when Ikonwa and his wife visited him to confess about what he had done.
The court heard Ikonwa was emotional and had told his church pastor, who said he needed to speak with the victim.
Both Ikonwa and his wife got down on their knees and begged not to take action, promising to pay the man back at a rate of £1,000 a month.
The victim kept it to himself for a year, before telling another carer. The stress of the situation caused the victim to suffer a seizure and be hospitalised.
Ikonwa, of Carr Mills, Buslingthorpe Lane, Meanwood, gave a voluntary police interview in July last year and expressed remorse for his actions, but said he had been a victim of a scam also.
It was calculated that Ikonwa had stolen £58,900 in total. He admitted a charge of fraud by abuse of position.
He has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Mark Foley said Ikonwa was still paying back the money and had cleared around £31,000 of the debt already.
He described it as “puzzling” as to how Ikonwa could stoop to stealing from a man he called his friend.
He said he had become the victim of an investment scam for which he was continuously convinced to plough in more of his own cash. He lost around £80,000 of his own money.
Mr Foley said Ikonwa had expressed remorse for stealing the disabled man’s money and was “deeply sorry”.
The court heard Ikonwa had kept his job, but was given a final written warning.
Judge Neil Clark accepted his remorse and gave him a two-year sentence, suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) timetable was set to recoup losses, but Judge Clark admitted it may not assist, given that Ikonwa was already paying off the debt at £1,000 a month.