A woman with a hidden gambling addiction stole over £6,700 from a bedridden pensioner under her care, using the money to fuel her bingo and betting habits. Karen Corner, 61, exploited the trust of a vulnerable man in Horbury, Wakefield, who was disabled and had been confined to bed for six years due to cerebral palsy. Entrusted with his bank card to manage his daily expenses, Corner instead used it to make hundreds of transactions over two years as her addiction deepened.
The theft was uncovered in May 2022 when another caregiver noticed discrepancies in the elderly man’s account. Upon investigation, it was found that Corner had made unauthorised transactions totalling £6,725. Specifically, she had spent £2,449 at William Hill, £3,320 at Paddy Power, £654 at Buzz Bingo, and additional sums on Netflix, fuel, and even a hair salon.
When confronted, Corner admitted to the theft, expressing remorse and promising to repay the money. However, her actions had left the elderly man, aged 75 to 77 during the time of the theft, in a dire financial situation. He had to rely on charity after being left with insufficient funds and expressed feeling betrayed before his death at age 79.
Corner, who appeared in court under her maiden name, Moxon, pleaded guilty to a single charge of fraud by false representation. A probation report revealed that her gambling problem began in 2019 when she started attending bingo sessions with friends, leading to significant debt. Despite accumulating a £7,000 debt and seeking help, she continued to gamble and had not disclosed the court proceedings to her family or employer.
During her trial at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Christopher Batty described her actions as a profound betrayal of trust, emphasising the elderly man’s vulnerability and her role as his caregiver. Despite this, he opted not to impose an immediate custodial sentence, considering her husband’s battle with cancer. Instead, Corner received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 25 days of rehabilitation and 75 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Batty warned her that she had narrowly avoided imprisonment, underscoring the severity of her actions and the gravity of her breach of trust.
SiGMA East Europe Summit powered by Soft2Bet, happening in Budapest from 2 – 4 September.
