A builder scammed almost £100,000 of life-savings from his disabled mother-in-law after she was taken unwell.

Francis Farnan, of Dover, set up a Post Office account in the 82-year-old’s name, forged her signature and sloshed money around various accounts hoping it would go undetected.

But the 63-year-old was eventually caught preying on Vera Wilson after he syphoned £92,000 over two years.

Judge Rupert Lowe at Canterbury Crown Court sentenced Farnan to two-and-a-half years in prison on Thursday.

Ms Wilson entrusted the fraudster with her bank card to help with weekly shops after suffering a fall, the court heard.

But after she was moved into assisted accommodation the thief executed a “sophisticated” ploy to bleed her dry.

Judge Lowe described the scam as a “breach of a high degree of trust” where Farnan deliberately targeted his victim because of her vulnerability.

"You did target the victim on the basis of vulnerability"

“This was a woman entirely in your hands who put her money entirely in your hands and trusted you.

“Secondly this was sophisticated offending, it was setting up a Post Office account, forging signatures and moving money between accounts over two years.

"And you did target the victim on the basis of vulnerability,” he said.

Prosecutor Iestyn Morgan explained Farnan, who has 37 previous convictions including fraud and theft, gave a largely “no comment” police interview following his arrest in October 2018.

However Ms Wilson told police her son-in-law had no authority to take cash apart from helping with the weekly shop.

Farnan, of Sheridan Road, Dover, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft at a previous hearing but argued he had fallen on hard times and intended to pay the money back.

His barrister Paul Jackson explained Farnan was “deeply remorseful and ashamed” and used the cash to prop up his building business after contracting arthritis, drowning out the pain with alcohol.

He then became an alcoholic which he has since addressed but health issues make him more prone to Covid-19 which is rife in HMP Elmley, the barrister said.

Judge Lowe activated a 12-week suspended prison sentence for a drink-driving offence but allowed it to run concurrently given the conditions inside the prison.

“This case concerns three offences of theft of money from a vulnerable old lady, your mother in law who is called Vera Wilson and is over 80-years-old with limited mobility and living in assisted living residence.

“Like many people of her age and disability she had to have others look after her including her daughter Sharon, your wife, who would go on a Wednesday to take money out.

“And then in March 2016 Ms Wilson went into a nursing home and her bank card came to your possession and you started to become really quite involved in Vera’s life in the two and a half years,” he said.

Detective Constable Matthew Herriott, of Kent Police, thanked the victim's family and friends for their support during the investigation.

"Without their vigilance, the defendant would have continued to deplete the victim's savings," he said.

"Francis Farnan stole in excess of £92,000, leaving his victim, an elderly and vulnerable lady, close to being penniless.

"I can only hope that the sentence is long enough for him to reflect on the trust that he breached, and the lives that he has affected, and return from prison a rehabilitated man.

"I would also take this opportunity to urge anyone who suspects that their loved ones are being defrauded or stolen from to contact Kent Police so that we can catch offenders and safeguard the vulnerable."

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