A CARE home manager has escaped jail after defrauding an elderly resident with Alzheimer’s and stealing.

Julia Glynn, of Applesham Way, Portslade, stole £3,108.57 in cash from the Oakland Grange care home in St Floras Road, Littlehampton, last year which were the fees from one resident.

Glynn, 54, then tried to cover her tracks by paying back the money using the cheque book of the elderly resident with Alzheimer’s, from whom she also used a further cheque for £4,316.

A court heard yesterday how Glynn’s actions were premeditated and planned where she targeted vulnerable people.

Ms Glynn, who has since paid back all the money, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position and one count of theft, between June and November last year.

She was handed a suspended sentence on Thursday at Chichester Crown Court.

Care home bosses investigated after noticing cash had gone missing in November 2013, and two of the woman’s cheque books were found in Ms Glynn’s drawer.

She admitted to police both the theft by employee and fraudulently presenting the two cheques.

Sentencing, Recorder Gareth Byrne said Ms Glynn had been in a “position of trust” said she “quite cynically and dishonestly” decided to steal.

He added: “It was premeditate and planned and as I say you specifically and deliberately targeted these people.”

But he spared her jail after reading letters from her daughter, therapist, and taking into consideration her guilty plea.

He added: “You have entered guilty pleas after making full admissions, you are of good character, you have expressed genuine and sincere and deep remorse, and most significantly of all you have repaid every single penny that you stole.”

He sentenced her to nine months in jail suspended for 12 months, also ordering her to do 60 hours’ unpaid work, pay £500 costs and a victim surcharge.