Carer and builder exploited wealthy stroke victim to steal £114,000 and buy house in Yorkshire

Judge Colin Burn said greed had got the better of 52-year-old Brighouse woman Sharon Hughes and Miles Ogden, 25, from Bradford, after hearing how the pair took advantage of the vulnerable 56-year-old complainant who also suffered from learning difficulties.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Monday how Hughes originally worked as a carer for the woman’s mother in the south of England, but also began assisting the complainant after she suffered a stroke in 2014.

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Prosecutor James Lake said when the victim’s mother died in 2015 she inherited almost £600,000 and already had about £150,000 in her own bank account.

He told the court how Hughes bought a new Suzuki car using money from the complainant and eventually they both moved from London up to Yorkshire and bought a house in Elland for just over £100,000.

Mr Lake said Hughes lied about where the money had come from to buy the property and she subsequently used more money from the complainant when that house was sold and she moved into a new home in Ascot Grove, Brighouse.

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An investigation was launched after a complaint was made about Hughes exploiting the complainant and Mr Lake said she told a number of lies during her interview.

The court heard that Hughes’ fraud against the complainant had totalled £114,000 and in a victim impact statement the woman said she thought as friends they had been paying 50-50.

“I never intended to pay for everything,” she said.

“I never intended my mum’s money to go to her.”

During the inquiry it emerged that the complainant had also been taken advantage of by builder Miles Ogden who had overcharged her for work at her home to the tune of £31,500.