A trusted nurse and family friend stole thousands from a best-selling author as he lay on his deathbed, a court was told.
Horror writer Guy N Smith, 81, shot to fame in the 1970s as the author of 'fantastical horror books' and published more than 100 books during his long career before dying on Christmas Eve 2020 after contracting coronavirus..
Family members said he was upset at discovering cleaner Nichola Whiffen, 40, had stolen thousands of pounds after trusting her to help look after his affairs.
Whiffen was convicted by Telford Magistrates’ Court of stealing £2,400 from Mr Smith between September 8, 2018, and January 9, 2020.
She was handed a four–month suspended jail sentence and ordered to complete 130 hours of unpaid work.
But she was back in court after failing to keep her appointments with the probation service.
Whiffen, of Knighton, Powys, admitted breaching her court order when she appeared in Llandrindod magistrates.
His daughter Tara Paulsson said Whiffen's thefts had caused her father "great distress during his final months".
She said Whiffen had been employed as a cleaner, Whiffen began helping manage her father’s affairs on the internet.
Mrs Paulsson said Whiffen’s thefts from his home in Clun, Shropshire, had put an end to a long-standing friendship between Mr Smith and Whiffen's father.
She added: "This was a very traumatic situation for Dad, as he was suffering greatly from immobility and hip pain and was awaiting an operation that never happened, thanks to Covid.
"He had great affection for, and trusted, Nikki. The Smith family had been friends with Nikki's whole family for decades, so this was a huge betrayal on all levels.
"The missing money also caused friction within the family, as we tried to understand what was happening.
"Poor Dad was in denial about what was going on and also very embarrassed, I think.
"My mum Jean, my three siblings and I are relieved that we managed to get a conviction, thanks to the dogged persistence of Wayne Strangwood and his team at West Mercia Police, although sadly the resolution came too late for Dad, who died before the case came to court."
Mrs Paulsson added elderly people were often very dependent on people they employed to care for them.
She said: "We don't want anyone else to go through this. Sadly, elderly and vulnerable people need a lot of assistance with their online communications and finances, and in Dad's case, Nikki shamelessly and callously took advantage of that vulnerability."
Gareth Walters, representing Whiffen, said: “She works as a head housekeeper in a hotel and would be able to work the order around her employment. It is something she is keen to begin and do.
Magistrates did not activate her suspended sentence but added another 30 hours unpaid work.
The author’s 1976 novel ‘Night of the Crabs’ propelled him to fame - allowing him to give up his job as a bank manager in Birmingham. In total, he published 124 books and 4,000 articles and short stories.
His 1977 novel Bats out of Hell told how a contaminated bat escapes from a laboratory and spreads a plague.
The novel had a resurgence in popularity when it was reprinted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
