A 58 year-old man has been sentenced today for stealing the life savings of his mum and dad.
The elderly couple, both in their 80s, went into care in Ruddington in 2015. Three years later, the care home manager found a large balance was outstanding on their account and so began to look into it further. The debt was reported to the police, and financial investigators found that Steven Buckley, of Kenilworth Drive in Ilkeston, had used around £114,000 of the couples’ funds for his own financial gain.
His parents had not heard from their son for more than a year, and had no idea they had been left with no money and in arrears with their Ruddington care home. The court heard Buckley had spent it on a variety of holidays, travel, eating out, shopping, insurance and paying his own rent – as well as withdrawing a total of nearly £18,000 from a cash machine.
PC Kelly Carlile of Rushcliffe Police, who led the investigation, says: “It’s really sad and harrowing that Buckley had the ability to con and fool his own parents. They had trusted him and he didn’t think twice before leaving them penniless. The care home and Nottinghamshire County Council’s Social Services team acted responsibly, quickly recognising an issue, carrying out their own investigation and working with us on this case. If it wasn’t for their hard work and tenacity, Buckley could well have got away with it.”
She adds: “Nottinghamshire Police takes fraud and financial abuse really seriously and we investigate all reports we receive thoroughly. We’re glad that we were able to bring Buckley before the courts and that he’s now been held to account for his crimes.”
Buckley pleaded guilty to ‘fraud by false representation’ on May 6th 2020 and was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Nottingham Crown Court today (Wednesday August 26th).
