Carer Jailed for Defrauding Elderly Client

Anne Hill, a 57-year-old carer from Harworth, has been sentenced to six years in prison for stealing over £125,000 from Louis Woodward, an elderly man in his 80s, to fund her gambling addiction and a £7,000 holiday. Hill gained power of attorney over Woodward's affairs and conducted multiple transfers from his accounts, which left him financially depleted and overdrawn by the time of her arrest in April 2021. The funds included money from Woodward's life savings and three drawdowns from a lifetime mortgage on his home, which Hill falsely claimed were for his benefit. During the trial, she denied wrongdoing, asserting that Woodward had consented to the transfers and had gifted her £60,000, claims that contradicted his own testimony. Judge Mark Watson condemned Hill's actions as a betrayal of trust, highlighting her exploitation of Woodward's vulnerabilities. Woodward passed away at 86 during the investigation, which was prompted by concerns raised by his friends about Hill's influence over him.