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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Antony Thrower

Conwoman who posed as a nurse to scam over £1,000 from a blind disabled man is jailed

A conwoman who posed as a nurse to scam more than £1000 from a blind man has been jailed.

Maria Davis, 42, approached the partially-sighted victim and claimed she was a registered nurse and offered to go shopping for him.

Days later the man, who also has learning difficulties, gave Davis his bank card and PIN number, heard Northampton Crown Court.

She then used the card to withdraw some cash and bought a mix of cigarettes, scratchcards, Lucozade and crisps.

The victim and his carers later realised £1,278 was missing from his account and contacted police, who arrested Davis.

She initially denied conning the man but on Monday she was jailed for eight months after admitting six charges of fraud.

Davis conned the blind disabled man out of more than £1,200 (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The court was told how Davis approached the victim and offered him assistance with his groceries in May 2020.

Prosecutor Serena Varatharajah said: "She said her name was Claire Taylor and was a registered nurse."

After being invited into his house, Davis offered to do his shopping and was given his bank card. She then called her victim and claimed that contactless payments were not working to get his PIN.

But Davis, who appeared over videolink from HMP Peterborough, used his card to defraud him a number of times.

She went to a Costcutter and spent £37.96 on items for herself before going to a Morrisons and taking out £250 in cash.

Davis told the man she was a registered nurse (BPM MEDIA)

An attempt to take another £250 out from Santander was declined and she went to a Tesco store and bought Lucozade and crisps, before making further payments for cigarettes and scratchcards.

In a victim impact statement, the man said he felt she took advantage of his disability and that he was now a lot more wary around people.

Pree Brada, defending, said: "What she is asking for is one last chance."

Recorder Huston said Davis had made little attempt to comply with supervision

Davis, of Kettering, has 21 convictions for 77 offences dating back to 2003 – including 17 offences of fraud by false representation.

Recorder Graham Huston said: "These are despicable offences committed by someone who has no sense of shame.

"You gave a false account, pretending he had agreed to you borrowing money from him."

Davis is also due to be sentenced for drugs offences in January next year when she potentially faces more time behind bars.

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