A carer from Harworth, Nottinghamshire, has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of defrauding a vulnerable elderly man of £125,000 to support her gambling addiction and fund a luxury holiday. Anne Hill, 57, was convicted of multiple counts of fraud following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
Hill had been given power of attorney over 86-year-old Louis Woodward’s finances but instead drained his accounts between August 2019 and April 2021. She used the money on online gambling and planned a £7,000 month-long holiday to Turkey for her family, which was later cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
The court heard that Hill transferred a total of £125,164.96 from Mr Woodward’s account into her own, including £93,697 from a lifetime mortgage secured against his home. As a result, Mr. Woodward, who was already in his 80s, was left penniless and overdrawn by the time Hill was arrested in April 2021.
During the trial, it was revealed that Hill had incurred net gambling losses of more than £108,000 across over 17,000 transactions, all while handling Mr Woodward’s finances. Although she claimed the victim had authorized the payments and even gifted her £60,000, this was contradicted by Mr Woodward’s own statements, provided in a video interview before he died in 2021. He insisted that Hill had only been authorized to use his money for necessary expenses, such as bills.
Judge Mark Watson condemned Hill’s actions, describing them as a “betrayal of significant trust.” He added, “You deliberately targeted him because of his vulnerabilities, taking what you wanted when you wanted it.
Hill’s arrest was prompted by suspicions raised by one of Mr Woodward’s friends, who noticed discrepancies in his finances. Despite the mounting evidence, Hill denied any wrongdoing and took the case to trial, where she was ultimately convicted on five counts of fraud and one count of perverting the course of justice.
Detective Sergeant Daniel Weaver, who led the investigation, expressed sorrow over the case. This was a very sad case in which a vulnerable, elderly man was taken advantage of by someone he trusted,” he said. “It was only in the final months of Mr. Woodward’s life that the full extent of Anne Hill’s financial abuse was discovered.”
He added that Nottinghamshire Police would now seek to recover funds from Hill through the Proceeds of Crime Act, ensuring that Mr Woodward’s final wishes—leaving his estate to animal charities and long-standing friends—could be honoured as much as possible.
The case has underscored the importance of safeguarding vulnerable individuals and highlighted the responsibilities that come with being granted power of attorney. This is a powerful role that comes with a lot of responsibility,” said Detective Weaver, “and I hope this case demonstrates that where abuse does take place, perpetrators will be held to account.
Hill’s sentence brings closure to a tragic case of financial abuse, reminding carers and those with similar responsibilities of the serious consequences of exploiting the trust placed in them.
