Imran Ahmed: Care home owner sentenced for £100,000 theft

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-20983851

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The former owner of a care home in Nottinghamshire has been jailed for three years for stealing more than £100,000 from an 80-year-old resident.

Imran Ahmed, 31, stole from Audrey Green at the Lilac House Care Home, Beeston over a seven-year period to feed his secret gambling addiction.

Nottingham Crown Court heard Ms Green's friend noticed irregularities in her bank account and alerted the council.

The judge said Ahmed was "among the worst sort of criminal."

Audrey Green was in her seventies when she went into the home, the court was told.

Racecourses and casinos

She was described as vulnerable, and for safety had put her bank card and PIN in the home's safe.

Ahmed, a qualified nurse with a pathological addiction to gambling, withdrew nearly £101,000 from cash machines to fund trips to racecourses and casinos.

His wife, his two children and his extended family knew nothing of what he was doing.

Defending Ahmed, Mr Philip Bown said: "This was a man being driven to distraction by the pathological addiction to gambling, it was running his life."

He said his client was full of remorse and that gambling now "sickens" him.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council had been made aware of the proceedings, the court heard, and Judge Michael Stokes said Ahmed would never work in the care profession again.

Judge Stokes praised Ms Green's friends Janet Boothroyd and her husband Paul who had investigated the case for two years before it came to court.

The offences came to light after the care home closed in 2011, and the couple were told there was insufficient funds to pay for her care.

Ms Boothroyd said Barclays had returned £96,000 to Mrs Green. Ahmed had already repaid £4,000, and his family have since raised £96,000 to repay Barclays.

Ahmed apologised to Audrey Green and her friends for the pain and hardship he had caused them.