In a shocking case from Widnes, Cheshire, a 19-year-old carer, Olivia Hannah, betrayed an elderly couple by stealing their savings meant for a special celebration.

Olivia Hannah, who worked near her home, found herself in a tight spot when she discovered she was pregnant.

Faced with financial stress, she decided to steal from John Shwenn, a 91-year-old she was caring for.

While Mr. Shwenn was out for an appointment, Hannah took the opportunity to ransack the couple’s bedroom drawers. Christina Shwenn, John’s wife, who is hard of hearing, was unaware of the theft happening right behind her.

The couple had saved £6,000 for a family cruise to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. Mr. Shwenn was devastated when he returned home to find the bed made—a sign that something was amiss.

Upon checking the drawers, he realized the money was missing.

Mr. Shwenn’s son contacted Premier Care, Hannah’s employer.

When confronted, Hannah was found to have a stack of £2,000 in cash. After Premier Care fired her, police searched her home but only found £2,000, with no suspicious bank transactions.

Hannah claimed she had returned the £2,000 and only took that amount, but the court ruled that £4,000 remained unaccounted for.

Legal Proceedings

In court, David Robb, Hannah’s defense attorney, portrayed her as a young woman under immense stress due to her pregnancy, which led her to make a regrettable decision.

He insisted she had no intention of keeping the missing £4,000 and expressed her remorse for the crime.

Magistrate Robin Bradshaw acknowledged the significant breach of trust and the impact on the Shwenn family.

Although the offense crossed the custody threshold, the magistrate decided to suspend Hannah’s six-month prison sentence for 18 months, along with 20 rehabilitation days. Hannah was also ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation for the psychological harm caused, as the court could not award more due to her guilty plea.

Conclusion

Olivia Hannah’s actions have left a lasting impact on the elderly couple, who had trusted her deeply.

The case highlights the serious consequences of betraying that trust, even under personal hardship.

TDPel Media

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