Victim of Wick fraudster now in care home
The victim in a £14,000 fraud is in a care home and is believed to be unable to look after his financial affairs Wick Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday.
The situation prompted Sheriff Neil Wilson to call for steps aimed at ensuring that Albert Millington gets help.
Fraudster Fiona Taylor (66) is currently repaying the money she stole from him, at the rate of £500 a month.
However, the court heard that 88-year-old Mr Millington was recently admitted to a care home after a spell in hospital.
Fiscal David Barclay said that Mr Millington was expected to be a resident for a while and was not thought to have the capacity to handle his financial affairs.
The fiscal said he was concerned that any mail concerning the repayments would go to Mr Millington's home and would not be dealt with.
Taylor listened from the dock as Mr Barclay continued: "I have asked the police to make inquiries to establish whether anyone has been appointed to handle his affairs."
Sheriff Wilson noted that no application had so far been made to the court for a Guardian to act for Mr Millington.
The case was continued until April 3 for further information.
The sheriff ordered monthly payments to Mr Millington after Taylor, changed her plea and admitted defrauding him of £14,000 in December last year.
The accused, who also lodged a lump sum of £4500, was warned then, by Sheriff Wilson that if she didn't honour her obligations "to the letter" he would have "no hesitation in jailing her".
Taylor, of Glamis Road, Wick, was originally charged with defrauding Mr Millington of £40,000 but plea bargaining resulted in the figure being slashed.
The accused got to know Mr Millington when she operated a taxi service in the town and began to run him about. But she betrayed his friendship and induced him to give her the cash between December 2015 and July 2016.
Taylor had claimed to need the money to pay off her granddaughter's rent arrears but gambled away some of it.
The case is one of the longest to come before the court and has been tabled, intermittently, for more than two years.
Initially, there were problems persuading Taylor to come to court to face the music and at one point the sheriff issued a warrant for her arrest.
There were also issues with Taylor's fitness to plead to the indictment and her protracted medical input.
At one point her legal agent withdrew and solicitor Sylvia Maclennan was 'parachuted' in to take over and start the defence to Taylor's not guilty plea -subsequently changed to one of guilty to a reduced charge- all over again.
