A nurse who stole £750,000 from a vulnerable 99-year-old and spent the money on cosmetic surgery and home improvements has been struck off.
Rebecca Louise Burwood exploited the resident who was living at Bryn Yr Haul Care Home in Mold, Flintshire, where she was deputy manager, for her own personal and financial gain.
She coerced the pensioner from 2017 to 2023 and also bought a car and campervan with the stolen money, as well as obtaining ownership of the woman’s home.
A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing found Burwood’s fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct and imposed a striking-off order, meaning she will be removed from the nursing register.
The NMC hearing was told Burwood had a longstanding relationship with the woman before she moved into the home in 2018.
The panel heard the resident had no family members and was vulnerable after a fall. She was dependent on Burwood for friendship and social contact.
It found that, between 2017 and 2023, Burwood abused a position of trust and power, becoming the resident’s lasting power of attorney, while also overseeing her care.
Burwood withdrew money from the woman’s bank account, accepted ownership of her house and received thousand of pounds, which was used for her own benefit, including for building work and the purchase of vehicles.
Evidence presented showed more than £370,000 had left the resident’s account over five years, with £160,000 of that from making large cash withdrawals at ATMs.
She also took the resident to the solicitors and got her to transfer the ownership of her £400,000 house.
The hearing was told there was “evidence to show Mrs Burwood used the funds for house improvements, utility bills and council tax”, and there were “allegations that Mrs Burwood used some of the funds for personal cosmetic surgery”.
She convinced the resident to pay £20,000 for a car and £9,000 for a campervan, which she said was purchased so the pair could go on days outs.
Burwood claimed the work on her home had been so the elderly woman could live with her in the event of another outbreak of Covid – however it had been paid for before any Covid lockdown in the UK.