POLICE have been accused of making mistakes in the trial of a carer who, along with her husband, is said to have “ripped off” a retired vicar and other elderly victims.

Clare Scott denies fraudulently levying excessive amounts for her services to the vicar which involved doing her shopping, making her meals and taking her to appointments.

She denies making false representations order to trade in the 78-year-old’s Ford Focus in part payment for a VW Tiguan car for her and her solicitor husband Giles.

Mrs Scott, 62, from Stearsby, near Thirsk, has also pleaded not guilty to seven offences of transferring criminal property and is on trial at Teesside Crown Court. Giles Scott, a former partner at Langleys solicitors in York, has already admitted a series of fraud and theft charges in respect of the former Anglican priest and also three other elderly victims for whom he had power of attorney.

The pair are said by the prosecution to have been “robbing Peter to pay Paul” as they attempted to maintain a high spending lifestyle, despite overdrafts on their joint bank account which frequently topped £10,000.
Alastair Campbell, defending, said police had made mistakes with some of their analysis of what Mrs Scott charged the vicar.

But Stephen Wright, a financial investigator with North Yorkshire Police, said some of the figures used were “illustrative” and not intended to be exact.

There was also lengthy discussion over the cost of meals, with Mr Wright accused of “double counting”.

Mr Campbell said: “Mrs Scott has not excessively overcharged [the victim] for the provision of meals that she has cooked.”

Judge Peter Armstrong was also moved to seek clarification over some of the figures produced, telling the jury: “I hope it is not muddying the waters, but we need to be clear on this.”

The trial continues.

York Press:

A YORK solicitor and his wife “ripped off” an elderly vicar who was no longer capable of making her own financial decisions, a jury was told.

Giles Scott and his wife Clare were described by prosecutor Philip Standfast as “robbing Peter to pay Paul” as they tried to maintain their high spending lifestyle, despite overdrafts on their joint bank account which frequently topped £10,000.

Scott, a former partner at Langleys solicitors in York until he was sacked after his offending came to light, admits a series of fraud and theft charges in respect of the former Anglican priest and also three other elderly victims for whom he also had power of attorney, as well as transferring criminal property.

Mr Standfast said the 63-year-old solicitor had stolen £231,446 from the retired vicar, although £123,000 had been paid back.

Unlike her husband Mrs Scott, a carer for the woman, denies the charges she faces. She has pleaded not guilty to fraudulently levying excessive amounts for her services between August 2009 and January last year, which involved buying the alleged victim groceries and transporting her to appointments.

York Press:

She denies making a false representation in 2013 in order to trade in the retired vicar's Ford Focus in part payment for a VW Tiguan car for the couple when not authorised to do so - allegedly leaving the 78-year-old woman, who suffers from memory loss to pick up three quarters of the finance bill on it.

Mrs Scott, 62, who like her husband lives in Stearsby, North Yorkshire, about ten miles south of Thirsk, has also pleaded not guilty to seven offences of transferring criminal property, amounting to £50,890, more than £8,000 of which was allegedly to pay for a VW Golf.

Mr Standfast said each victim – one of who had since died – was not capable of looking after their own financial affairs and most of the money stolen ended up in the couple’s joint account.

The prosecutor told Teesside Crown Court that while Mr Scott earned £3,500 a month, mortgage repayments on two properties belonging to the couple were £1,800 a month and they were frequently spending £5,000 a month, often on credit cards.

The court heard how Mrs Scott became friendly with the retired vicar after meeting her through a local church and was trusted by her.

However Mr Standfast said she “abused the trust” placed in her by the woman, who lived in supported accommodation.

He said: “Clare Scott must have known about the perilous state of the family's financial circumstances and she must have known that the large sums of money transferring into and out of their joint account was being used to pay for their high spending lifestyle and did not come from her husband’s legitimate income.

“It was obvious that these sums of money were the result of her husband’s criminal conduct.”

The trial continues.