Latest news with #elderAbuse
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Daily Mail
War of the roses! Neighbour gets restraining order after stealing plant pots and decorations from next door for her own garden
An elderly woman has been slapped with a restraining order after stealing plant pots from a next door neighbour for her own garden. Elaine Kelly, 71, also helped herself to lighting and decorations as she ransacked Patricia Thorley's shed in a bid to liven up her back yard. Her target, who lived in the adjoining bungalow, said around £1,000 worth of items mysteriously went missing over a period of several years, including clothing, food and even sanitary products on occasions when she invited Kelly into her home. Kelly also made her neighbour feel 'uncomfortable' and dictated to her how she should arrange her own garden area. The whole ordeal eventually led to Ms Thorley moving out of her bungalow. At Chester Magistrates' Court Kelly pleaded guilty to burglary and was handed a 12-month community order and told to pay £400 in compensation to Ms Thorley. The restraining order banning her from contacting her victim will last five years. Ms Thorley told police: 'Elaine's actions have led me to losing trust in people and I now find it hard to talk to anyone. I have lost nearly all my confidence and feel so isolated from everyone. 'It made me feel that I was losing my mind. Things were going missing and it made me feel that I was losing my memory. 'I now never let my handbag out of my sight. It is next to me even when I sleep. 'I had to move house as I did not feel safe in my own home. I felt like a prisoner in my own home. 'She made my home an unsafe environment. Stealing my possessions left me short of stuff I needed, leaving me without.' Miss Diana Przemecka, prosecuting, said: 'The complainant in this matter has lived next door to the defendant for approximately 10 years as the defendant moved in to the next door property in approximately 2014. 'She stated at first the defendant was not very nice. She was talking down to the complainant and made her feel uncomfortable, even in her own garden. 'She was constantly trying to take over her space, trying to control her garden. She wanted to do it herself, telling her where to put her plant pots. 'Eventually this turned into the defendant doing it for the complainant. She was also taking garden decorations and putting them in her own garden, taking lights and plant pots. 'The victim states that the defendant would also invite herself into the victim's home. 'Over the last few years, she noticed things going missing around the house and not where she left them. Three lampshades went missing from her little outshed and she also noticed cardigans, sanitary products and trivial matters like food going missing. 'She states that overall she cannot put an exact total on the value of the items that the defendant has taken from her home. However, she submits that overall it is approximately £1,000 worth of stuff that the defendant has taken from her.' Kelly's lawyer Jim Edwards stressed the offence of burglary referred to a single day but added: 'She is mortified by her actions and recognises that what she did was spiteful. 'She does not recognise herself as the person who did these things but accepts it was her. She can only say she is sorry for what she has done. 'She was interviewed last September. She has been waiting for this now since August, a long time. 'It has affected her sleep, affected her life. She is supported by her daughter who comes and helps with shopping.' In sentencing, District Judge Jack McGarva told Kelly: 'Burglary is a very serious offence and this involved you invading someone else's privacy. 'Your neighbour had trusted you with some access to her property and trusted you to deal with her property but you have broken that trust. 'She is very upset about it. It had a significant impact on her wellbeing. 'She made changes to her lifestyle and moved because of what you did. 'There will be a restraining order because I believe that you have caused Patricia Thorley harassment, alarm and distress.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
MCSO: SF man stole $25K from elderly Marin County resident in fake FBI agent scheme
(KRON) — A San Francisco man with ties to a large criminal organization helped scam an elderly Marin County resident out of $25,000, the Marin County Sheriff's Office said. In February, someone impersonating the FBI allegedly contacted the elderly resident over the phone, claiming that there was an active investigation involving the victim's bank account. During the conversation, the person allegedly talked the victim into withdrawing the money and having it deposited into a ''safe Federal bank account' via courier,' the Marin County Sheriff's Office said. Tangled bear cub rescued from soccer net at Lake Tahoe After the victim withdrew $25,000, 38-year-old Zian Hu of San Francisco allegedly showed up at the victim's house and collected the money. 'The fake FBI agents then attempted to convince the resident to purchase gold and provide it to a courier,' the MCSO said. 'At that point, the resident became suspicious and contacted a real FBI agent. The real FBI agent informed the resident that they were being scammed and directed them to contact local law enforcement.' The MCSO identified Hu as a suspect in the case and arrested him at a home in Daly City. Hu was booked into the Marin County Jail on felony charges of grand theft, elder abuse and conspiracy. 'Based on Hu's connection with a larger criminal enterprise, Detectives believe Hu has access to large amounts of illegally obtained cash,' the MCSO said. 'A bail enhancement from $50,000 to $1 million was requested and granted.' On May 12, MCSO detectives arrested 24-year-old Balraj Singh of Torrance for allegedly running a similar scam. 'Singh went to a victim's residence to pick up $50,000 in cash but was contacted by law enforcement before completing the theft,' the MCSO said. 'Singh was arrested and booked into the Marin County Jail for attempted grand theft, attempted elder abuse, and conspiracy.' Singh is also allegedly connected to a larger criminal organization and has access to large amounts of illegally obtained cash. Based on these accusations, Singh was denied bail. MCSO detectives are looking for possible accomplices in both cases. There is no confirmed connection between the cases at this time. 'The Marin County Sheriff's Office continues to notice an increase in scams targeting our elderly residents,' the MCSO said. 'While the specifics of each scam often varies, they often involve suspects arranging for couriers to pick up cash and/or gold.' $10M winning Scratcher ticket sold at Concord liquor store There is no legitimate situation where a company or law enforcement agent will request delivery of cash/currency by courier. There is no reason to withdraw funds or purchase gift cards and provide them to unknown individuals. If you receive an email from a company that seems suspicious regarding a transaction, do not use the numbers provided on the email. Look up the company's phone number on their website. Fraudulent/suspicious activity can come from emails, text messages, and phone calls. If you are not sure if the correspondence from a business is legitimate, ask a friend, family member, or call your local law enforcement agency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
