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Southport care home boss jailed for £4m fraud | Southport care home boss jailed for £4m fraud |
(about 20 hours later) | |
A "despicably greedy" care home owner who preyed on wealthy, elderly residents to fund a lavish lifestyle has been jailed for 21 years. | A "despicably greedy" care home owner who preyed on wealthy, elderly residents to fund a lavish lifestyle has been jailed for 21 years. |
David Barton, 64, conned residents of Barton Park nursing home in Southport out of more than £4m over 16 years. | David Barton, 64, conned residents of Barton Park nursing home in Southport out of more than £4m over 16 years. |
Judge Steven Everett told Liverpool Crown Court it was the "most brazen" case of fraud he had ever seen. | Judge Steven Everett told Liverpool Crown Court it was the "most brazen" case of fraud he had ever seen. |
Barton was convicted of a string of charges including conspiracy to defraud after a trial which lasted a year. | Barton was convicted of a string of charges including conspiracy to defraud after a trial which lasted a year. |
Rosemary Booth, 69, who was the home general manager, was jailed for six years after being convicted of three counts of conspiracy to defraud. | Rosemary Booth, 69, who was the home general manager, was jailed for six years after being convicted of three counts of conspiracy to defraud. |
The court heard Barton bought several homes and a fleet of expensive cars including four Ferraris and two Rolls Royces. | The court heard Barton bought several homes and a fleet of expensive cars including four Ferraris and two Rolls Royces. |
Sentencing, Judge Everett said he was "despicably greedy man". | Sentencing, Judge Everett said he was "despicably greedy man". |
"I am quite sure the person you care for most is yourself, not even your family, with an insatiable appetite for fancy cars and building your property empire." | "I am quite sure the person you care for most is yourself, not even your family, with an insatiable appetite for fancy cars and building your property empire." |
He added: "I am struggling to remember anyone as dishonest as him, as morally bankrupt as him." | He added: "I am struggling to remember anyone as dishonest as him, as morally bankrupt as him." |
Described as Barton's "eyes and ears" in the care home, Booth helped turn residents against their families, the court heard. | |
The judge described her as an "enthusiastic conspirator" in the fraud. | The judge described her as an "enthusiastic conspirator" in the fraud. |
"What is terrible is to have to sentence a 69-year-old woman of previous good character," he said. | "What is terrible is to have to sentence a 69-year-old woman of previous good character," he said. |
"But I remind myself you did terrible things." | "But I remind myself you did terrible things." |
Over a 16-year period from 1997 to 2013, Barton groomed six wealthy and vulnerable residents, who were mostly recently-widowed women, before draining their bank accounts, said prosecutors. | |
The court was told he isolated victims from family and previously-trusted acquaintances and got them to sign over control of their finances. | The court was told he isolated victims from family and previously-trusted acquaintances and got them to sign over control of their finances. |
One victim Patricia Anderson Scott, the widow of former Everton FC chairman Bill Scott, had £1.4m stolen. | One victim Patricia Anderson Scott, the widow of former Everton FC chairman Bill Scott, had £1.4m stolen. |
Barton also targeted multi-millionaires Katie and Gordon Willey, hiring a life coach and psychic consultants to "make spells" to "banish" their family. | |
Barton made a fraudulent claim for £10m he said was owed to him after Mrs Willey died. | Barton made a fraudulent claim for £10m he said was owed to him after Mrs Willey died. |
Booth, of Hesketh Drive, Southport, and Barton, of Oxford Road, Southport, were convicted on 11 May following a 12-month trial - the longest in the history of Merseyside Police and Liverpool Crown Court. | Booth, of Hesketh Drive, Southport, and Barton, of Oxford Road, Southport, were convicted on 11 May following a 12-month trial - the longest in the history of Merseyside Police and Liverpool Crown Court. |
Barton was convicted of four counts of conspiracy to defraud, one count of fraud, three counts of theft, false accounting and transferring criminal property. | |
He was disqualified from being a director for 15 years. | He was disqualified from being a director for 15 years. |
Bookkeeper Kiria Hughes, 42, of Lulworth Road, Southport, admitted fraud and false accounting and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for a year. | Bookkeeper Kiria Hughes, 42, of Lulworth Road, Southport, admitted fraud and false accounting and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for a year. |
Correction 17 July 2018: This story was updated following revised information published by Merseyside Police to make clear Barton targeted six residents from 1997 to 2013, while Booth was involved in three crimes over a shorter time period. |