Cork care worker who stole €45k from elderly woman with dementia sent to jail

Carer made payments on woman's card for groceries, refuse collection, electricity bills and on one occasion the purchase from an equestrian supplier of horse tackle costing €4,000, court heard

Judge said the irony was not lost on Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the accused would have to entrust her own father, who has dementia, to a carer while she is in prison. Picture Larry Cummins 

An elderly woman suffering from dementia had more than €45,000 stolen by her care worker visiting her Kinsale home and the irony of the case is that the accused will now have to entrust her own father to a care worker as she faces two and a half years in prison.

Judge Colin Daly said this irony was not lost on Cork Circuit Criminal Court as he sentenced 46-year-old Catherine Gregg, of The Cottage, Ballinaclashet, Belgooly, Co Cork, to three years in prison, with the last six months suspended.

Judge Colin Daly noted from Detective Sergeant Hugh Byrne’s evidence that Ms Gregg was employed as a carer by an elderly couple in Kinsale — both of whom were in poor health. The man was recovering from a fall and his wife was experiencing dementia. She was employed by the family through a company offering the services of care workers.

Soon after her employment commenced, the elderly man died and it became apparent his wife would need to go into a residential care home. 

However, in the weeks before that occurred, there were 15 electronic transfers totalling over €23,000 from an Ulster Bank account in the woman’s name to an account of Ms Gregg. 

When the family began to look into the estate of their parents, there was no document in the family home related to this account and it was only through the work of their solicitor that the existence of the account was established at all.

Judge Daly said: “It seems certain efforts were made to keep evidence of this account from the family.” 

Before and after the electronic transfers which were carried out in a concentrated six-week period there were also — between 2018 and 2022 — 103 payments made with the bank card and 16 ATM withdrawals.

Payments were made by Ms Gregg on the elderly woman’s card for groceries, refuse collection, electricity bills and on one occasion the purchase from an equestrian supplier of horse tackle costing €4,000.

The withdrawals and use of the card to make payments continued until it was cleaned out to the tune of over €45,000. There was no more than 80 cents left in the account when she was finished.

Judge Daly said: “She deprived an elderly couple — certainly an elderly woman — of a significant amount of money — money this woman may yet need. The breach of trust to the entire family who entrusted the care of their mother to the accused [is extreme].

“She took advantage of an elderly woman at the most exceptionally and extremely vulnerable time of her life when she was a carer for this woman. 

"She comes before the court with previous convictions for similar offences. They may have been historical but they showed a similar lack of regard and abuse of trust that others might place in her.

“She is a single mother caring for her daughter and caring for her own father who has dementia. The irony of this case — where she is now going to have to rely on someone else to place her trust to look after her father — is not lost on this court.” 

The judge imposed a sentence of three years, with the last six months suspended. The commencement of the sentence was deferred until January 4, 2024, when she is required to present herself at Bandon Garda Station to be taken to prison to commence her prison sentence.

Defence barrister Paula McCarthy said the accused made full admissions as soon as she was questioned by gardaí and never demurred from that. 

“She expresses her remorse and her shame for her actions. She is under the care of a GP. I am instructed she would have liked to repay the money but she is not in a position to bring the money before the court… She has met these charges fairly. Her medical report shows that she has suffered from anxiety and depression.

“She expresses her full, unequivocal apology to the family, for whatever that is worth,” Ms McCarthy said.

Ms Gregg pleaded guilty to 17 sample counts of theft under the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act related to when Ms Gregg was working as a carer.

Some amounts were in excess of €3,000 and €4,000. One was for €14.50. What was stolen in total amounted to €45,773.93.

This story was updated to correct Catherine Gregg's age.