Chesterfield social worker spared jail after stealing £10,000 from former client
She transferred money from his bank account
A former senior social worker from Chesterfield has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to stealing £10,000 from a former client.
Tabitha Hall, 42 and of Springbank Road, started visiting the victim after his social care stopped.
It later emerged she had trasferred two sums of £5,000 from his bank account to hers.
Hall was charged with fraud by abuse of position and was handed 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
She was also ordered to perform unpaid work, participate in a rehabilitation activity, and compensate her victim the full £10,000.
In a victim impact statement, the man wrote: “I am struggling to sleep due to this happening to me, and my anxiety level is now very high. I trusted her and she was my friend. She has let me down and betrayed me.”
PC Peter Herrett, of Derbyshire Police, said: “This was an appalling abuse of position and breach of trust by Hall, who should never have taken this money."
"Despite claiming it was a loan, she clearly had no intention of ever paying it back as she had received a large sum of inheritance yet didn’t make any attempt to return the money she had taken.
"Understandably this has had a devastating effect on this man, who not only saw her as a professional person he could respect, but as a friend.
"Thankfully he has since had his money back from the bank, but I know the impact of this will continue to affect him for some time to come.”