A finance worker who fleeced her grandmother out of thousands of pounds while intercepting her mail and phone calls has been jailed.

Amanda Farr, 48, redirected savings the victim, Joyce Hutchings, transferred to pay for the costs of running her own home in Whitstable into her own bank account.

An electronic device owned by Farr was also found to have a calendar showing the dates on which the victim's pension was paid into her account.

Farr argued during her trial earlier this year that her grandmother, who is in her 90s, consented to handing over £24,069 while she cared for her.

But the jury saw through her lies after hearing how the ill-gotten gains were hidden and then wasted on sites like JustEat, McDonald’s, iTunes and the Playstation Store.

She was found guilty in February and jailed last Friday for 18 months.

Farr claimed the financial arrangement was above-board, with much of the money spent on her grandmother who “liked her food" during the period of offending, between December 2017 and September 2019.

Trying to explain where unaccounted money had gone, she pointed the finger at Ms Hutchings, claiming she was a “big eater” of oriental cuisine.

She said Ms Hutchings could spend up to £20 a week on sugary treats, £180 sending her pet to “dog school” and would shell out £35 a time to have the animal walked.

She also argued the 130 transactions – which included William Hill bets and an Amsterdam holiday – were consensual and designed to benefit the whole family.

The victim accrued large debts with energy and water companies, some of which rose to more than £3,000.

It led to debt collection agencies getting involved and applications for recovery warrants.

The matter was eventually reported to police in late-2019.

Farr, formerly of Croydon, south London, was arrested and later charged with fraud.

She pleaded not guilty and was convicted in February, following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

The 48-year-old was jailed last Friday for 18 months with confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 being initiated at the same time.

Stewart Ross-Cumming, a financial investigator for the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Farr’s offending was simply callous and calculated with no consideration for the impact this was having on her victim.

“Nobody should think they can avoid justice when exploiting members of the public.”