A CARER who took more than £4,000 froman elderly woman to buy jewellery and a holiday has avoided jail.

Angela Penney, of Prince William Avenue, Canvey, was given a 15-month suspended sentence after she admitted stealing the cash from 82-year-old family friend Margaret Thomas.

Penney, who had known Mrs Thomas for 20 years via her late daughter, became a paid carer earning £100 a month in January 2013.

But Southend Crown Court heard within one month she began using the debit card Mrs Thomas had entrusted her with to pay for rings, a holiday and pay utility bills for herself.

Penney, 47, had her sentence suspended by 18 months by Recorder Geoffrey yesterday. Family friend of Mrs Thomas, Georgina Chambers, 22, said was too lenient.

She said: “We are very shocked by the sentence because, while we thought the 15 months was fair, we did not believe it should have been suspended.

“I grew up with Margaret as another grandmother. I see her all the time, and she’s been made very ill by all of this.”

Prosecutor Peter Clark told the court: “Margaret Thomas had a bank account with a debit card associated with it, which she would give to the defendant and confided in her its pin number so she could pay for Mrs Thomas’s shopping.

“There were times when the card was not returned and the excuse given was that it was an oversight and it had been forgotten.

“However, another friend of Mrs Thomas noticed there didn’t seem to be any bank statements and, when theywere ordered and examined, it became clear there were some suspicious transactions.”

Defending, NickBolehill told the court Penney was experiencing financial difficulties when she began caring for Mrs Thomas, on account of her husband being forced to take a lesser paid driving job to avoid redundancy, which also meant he was away from home longer and unable to share responsibility for caring for their son.

The couple are divorcing.

He added: “As a result of her actions, and her actions only, she has lost contact with the majority of her family, she has lost her husband and she has a financial burden over her head.

“But she has told probation she wishes to pay the money back.”

Recorder Yearwood said he did not consider buying rings and a holiday consistent with someone in financial difficulty and, in addition to the 15-month suspended sentence, imposed a victim surcharge of £100 and 150 hours’ of unpaid work.

A proceeds of crime hearing, which will determine whether goods will be seized to pay back the amount taken, will be heard at Basildon Crown Court on October 15.