Leeds judge slams 'shocking' decision to let 'despicable' nursing home carer off with police caution for stealing bank card from dying woman to go on Primark spending spree

Tehreen Din then went on to get job at a dental surgery where she committed a similar fraud offence after stealing from her workmate's purse.

A Leeds Crown Court judge described the decision to caution the 25-year-old for the original offence as "shocking" and "wholly inappropriate".

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC jailed Din for ten months, telling her: "It was a despicable thing to do."

Lorena Veale, prosecuting, told the court how Din preyed on the bed-bound vulnerable victim while she was working at Bryan Wood Care Home, Huddersfield, between June and September, 2019.

The victim's son raised concerns with care home management after checking his mum's bank statements.

He discovered a number of contact-less transactions had been made at Primark and a newsagents.

The matter was reported to police and CCTV footage was obtained of someone using the bank card at the time of the transactions.

Police were able to establish that Din had used the card to purchase items to the value of £360.

The defendant was bailed but later given a police caution for the offences.

The prosecutor said the victim of the fraud has now died.

Din lost her job at the care home but continued to offend when she got a job less than a mile away at Park View Dental Practice.

Ms Veale said a colleague at the practice left her bag in a staff room and later discovered that her bank card was missing.

The victim checked her account online and found that a transaction totalling £30,30 had been made at a newsagents nearby.

The woman went to the newsagents and was shown footage of Din using her bank card.

She contacted her manager who offered to contact the police

One message read: "I am so sorry. I can't stop crying. I can't take police coming to my mum's house. It would be so embarrassing."

A further message read: "I'm so sorry, please give me a chance to explain. I hope to Allah that you call me. My future is genuinely in your hands right now."

Din, of Jacinth Court, Fartown, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and one of theft.

Carl Kingsley, mitigating, said Din committed the offences when she was struggling financially.

Mr Kingsley said she was living with her mother, who does not work, and her sister who was earning the minimum wage.

The barrister said Din had been suffering from depression and anxiety but had managed to find work in a factory since the offending.

Describing the care home offences, Judge Marson told Din: "You targeted her because she was extremely vulnerable. It was a despicable thing to do.

"It is true that it was not a huge amount of money but it was a gross breach of trust against a highly vulnerable victim over a period of time.

"It wasn't just a one-off. It was committed over a period of three months, during which time you used the card over many occasions.

"I am shocked to hear that this was dealt with by a conditional caution.

"In my view this was wholly inappropriate. I have taken that in to account when assessing the sentence

"When interviewed in relation to that you then committed fraud in July 2020.

"You have demonstrated that for a period of time you are thoroughly dishonest and I am afraid that, in my judgement, the offences clearly pass the custody threshold."