Cheshire Care Worker Jailed for Stealing £216,000

Luana Dougherty, a care worker from Cheshire, has been jailed for four years after stealing £216,000 from her mother, Margaret Trimer, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Despite receiving a £125,000 share from the sale of their family home, Dougherty exploited her mother's mental state by downloading a banking app to transfer large sums of money into her own account. She used the stolen funds to pamper her Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type dogs, buy furniture, set up a dog breeding business, and fund luxury holidays. The theft was uncovered after she boasted to her son about placing a £60,000 deposit on a house, prompting relatives to investigate. Only £10,000 remained in Trimer's account when the fraud was discovered, leaving her anxious and distressed. Dougherty admitted to fraud by abuse of position at Chester Crown Court.