A HEARTLESS senior support worker employed by Coventry City Council fleeced thousands of pounds from a vulnerable man by using his bank card.
Callous Deborah Gomm supplemented her £29,000 salary by a total of £25,000 over a period of three-and-a-half years, Warwick Crown Court has heard.
But despite the betrayal of trust placed in her as a carer, Gomm, 50, who has since moved to Fordway Avenue, Blackpool, escaped being jailed – for the sake of her son.
She was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years, with a 7pm-7am curfew for six months, and was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Prosecutor Amrisha Parathalingam said Gomm’s victim had a number of health issues and had lived in supported accommodation in Coventry since 2012.
Gomm, who was a senior support worker employed by Coventry City Council, was responsible for his welfare.
She was aware she was not allowed to carry out any transactions using his bank card without another member of staff being present.
But in June 2017, while she was on holiday, another support worker found his bank card lying around.
When asked, he said Gomm handled all his money, and he was unaware of what benefits he received.
So when Gomm returned from holiday it was agreed they would sit down and work out a proper budget plan for him.
But the following day the man, who has since died, made comments which led to the Safeguarding Team being contacted.
When Gomm was questioned, she said she had taken his card home to do some online food shopping for him.
But none of that activity had been recorded, and his bank statement showed a number of online purchases he was not aware of.
And on June 7 police told Gomm’s colleague she had confessed to taking money from the man’s account for some three years.
In that time she had taken a total of £25,609 from his account either in cash withdrawals or to pay for purchases.
When interviewed, Gomm admitted using the bank card without his knowledge, and setting up online banking with a password only she knew.
She said it had started after her son was diagnosed with autism.
Sophie Murray, defending, said: “Of course it is serious because of the vulnerability of the victim, but I seek to persuade you to pass a suspended sentence because of her autistic child, and because of the impact on him of her not being there for him.”
Miss Murray said the boy, who hardly speaks, had slept in Gomm’s bed ‘almost since he was born,’ adding: “One can only imagine the impact of not having his mother in his life for 18 months or so.”
Sentencing Gomm, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told her: “This type of offending strikes at the very heart of public trust in the caring industry.
“You deliberately targeted this vulnerable person. You were increasing your salary by around £7,000 a year.”
And he told her it was only for the sake of her son that he was not passing an immediate sentence.
