A WOMAN from Gwynedd who stole more than £5,000 from elderly grandmother while she was in ill health has been spared jail.

Donna Hughes, 40, of Ffordd Wynne, Blaenau Ffestiniog, was today (October 11) sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for a year, at Caernarfon Crown Court (sitting at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court).

She had previously admitted fraud by abuse of position.

Prosecuting, Richard Edwards told the court that, for many years, Hughes has helped care for her grandmother, Llywela Roberts, who is her late 80s and has mobility issues.

In about 2014, she started to help with her grandmother’s banking and food shopping, by withdrawing £200 for her from her account on a weekly basis.

At the start of 2022, Mrs Roberts was admitted to hospital – while there, she asked Hughes to withdraw £600 for her, “and no more”, to cover her bills while in hospital.

When she was discharged on March 16, 2022, she noticed her bank account was overdrawn.

Mrs Roberts asked Hughes if she had withdrawn the £600 as asked, but the defendant “couldn’t answer”.

Hughes would usually return Mrs Roberts’ bank card after making the withdrawals for her, but after her discharge, she would bring the withdrawn money to her, but would “make excuses” for not having the card.

Later, Mrs Roberts’ son realised she was overdrawn, and upon checking her bank statements, realised Hughes had been taking money from her accounts without permission.

Mrs Roberts forgave Hughes after she admitted doing this, and she agreed to pay her grandmother the money back.

But then, rather than withdraw £200 per week as agreed, Hughes would take out £300 from her grandmother’s account.

When Mrs Roberts stopped receiving bank statements by letter, she was left confused; Hughes told her this was because she had set up an online banking account on her behalf.

During a search of her house, officers recovered three envelopes containing Mrs Hughes’ bank statements.

In total, Hughes made 66 fraudulent withdrawals, and stole £5,155.92 from her grandmother.

Defending Hughes, who had no previous convictions, Jemma Gordon said her client has “taken full responsibility for her behaviour”, of which she is “ashamed”.

Ms Gordon said it was a “combination of financial issues, cocaine misuse, and the pressures of having to care (solely) for her son” which led to her behaviour.

Hughes has given up drugs and reduced her alcohol consumption, the court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Petts ordered Hughes to pay £5,155.92 in compensation to her grandmother.

She is also to complete 30 days’ rehabilitation activity, and is not to have contact with, or visit, her grandmother, without the permission of a supervising officer for the next six months.

Judge Petts told her: “You carried on doing it after you’d been caught the first time. You were undeterred.

“You will pay your grandmother every penny of the £5,155.92 you took from her.”