Niece who stole £200,000 from uncle avoids jail

A woman who stole £200,000 from her elderly uncle to buy drugs rather than pay for his care has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Sacha Goulden from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, was given access to the victim’s bank account in order for her to pay his care home fees.

The case featured in the Channel 4 programme 24 Hours In Police Custody where Goulden, 47, was seen admitting to stealing the money. 



She has been sentenced at Luton Crown Court to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years.

Goulden admitted theft and possession of a controlled drug after taking the money over an 18-month period.

The Channel 4 programme reported that the victim had been allowed to stay in his care home, even though he could not pay the required fees after the theft.

In a statement, Bedfordshire Police said it had seen an increase in elderly or vulnerable people falling victim to scams or fraud.

“This is often done in very sophisticated ways and is sometimes hard to detect, particularly when the perpetrator is a family member of close friend,” it said.

The force is urging people to pass on fraud prevention advice to vulnerable friends and family and report any suspicious activity to Action Fraud.

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