A solicitor and his wife have gone on trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of swindling a retired vicar out of more than £230,000.
Rev Jane Waugh, 78, believed she could trust Giles and Clare Scott, who she met through the church choir. She gave Giles Scott power of attorney over her financial affairs and employed Clare Scott to care for her.
But the court was told the couple stripped her of her assets.
Giles Scott has admitted stealing £231,446 from Waugh's accounts and to defrauding three other elderly victims. His wife is accused of overcharging the vicar for care services including doing her shopping, cooking for her and taking her to appointments. She denies the charges, which include an allegation that she trading in Mrs Waugh's Ford Focus to get a new car for herself. She is facing six charges of transferring criminal property to the value of £50,890.
Clare Scott has blamed everything on her husband and said she was "totally shocked" when she realised he was tens of thousands of pounds in debt.
According to the Daily Mail, Mrs Scott is accused of charging exploitative fees for her work, even billing twice for the same job.
She says she made out bills for her time and gave them with receipts for her expenditure to her husband, who arranged for the money to be paid. She claims she did not check that what she received tallied with what she passed to her husband.
The trial continues.
