A mum and aspiring business owner has been bombarded with abusive messages after her namesake - a devious carer who stole thousands from vulnerable victims - was convicted earlier this month.

Innocent Gemma Day, 39, from Sheerness, started a walking club for residents on the Isle of Sheppey only to wake up to horrible messages calling her "vile" and a thief.

Gemma Day on the abuse she has received

She received the messages because another woman named Gemma Day, this time a 30-year-old of Victoria Street, also from Sheerness, was handed a suspended prison sentence for helping steal more than £12,000 from a Sittingbourne couple living with dementia.

The greedy carer pilfered cash from the bank accounts of Ann and Dennis Baldock.

Over a four-month period last year, Day and an accomplice raided the funds of the dementia sufferers – pocketing £12,170 between them.

She had faced a jail sentence of anything up to three years after admitting fraud by abuse of position.

But she was allowed to keep her freedom because she cares for three of her four children and could have lost her home if jailed.

A week after her namesake's sentencing, Herbalife representative and aspiring personal trainer Gemma, an innocent mum-of-three, has been left shaken by the messages.

She said: "On Thursday morning I woke up to loads of comments and abuse on a walking club I had set up on Facebook.

"I had a feeling it was going to come after one of my members showed me the story, but I never imagined they would do it on my club page like they did.

"I was being told I was a vile person and I was just looking for someone to rob."

The mother revealed she has now had second thoughts about starting up a second business through fear of repercussions.

She said: "I was really worried about it all. I was planning on starting up my own business when I finish my personal trainer course but now I'm anxious to do that in case this whole thing impacts me in the future.

"I'm also concerned people might end up saying things to my children, so just want to get it out there I'm not this person and don't want others to make the same mistake.

"I tried contacting the people who had messaged me to explain but I've not heard back from them or had an apology.

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