Care Worker Sentenced for Stealing £46K from Vulnerable Client

A care worker who exploited her position to steal more than £46,000 from a vulnerable man she befriended at work has been sentenced to three years in prison. Alana Squire, aged 37, withdrew cash from the victim's bank account over a span of three years before being caught. PC Michael McVay described her actions as a 'sickening abuse of trust,' emphasizing the manipulative nature of her crime, which caused significant damage to the victim. Squire, from Brough with St Giles, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Teesside Crown Court. The victim, a man in his 60s from Richmondshire, initially believed he was helping Squire financially out of sympathy, but became concerned as the money was not being repaid, estimating he thought she had taken around £14,000. Fearing that confronting her might lead to the end of their relationship and his isolation, he did not stop her. It was only after Squire left her job at the care company in December 2020 that police investigated and uncovered the total theft of £46,751. Squire was also ordered to stay away from the victim for ten years through a restraining order.