A mum who took in her cancer-stricken daughter was repaid for her kindness when the ill woman and her boyfriend stole nearly £9,000 of her life savings.
Michelle Livingstone, 48, broke into her mum’s personal safe and stole £5,000 while her partner Stewart Linton, 40, used the woman’s credit card to withdraw almost £4,000.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Linton made over 45 separate bank withdrawals from the woman’s account between October 12 and October 30 last year.
Former barmaid Livingstone, who had received recent a diagnosis of throat cancer, had asked to move in with her 69-year-old mother to recuperate on October 12 2020 – but she and Linton began stealing from the woman only hours later.
The pair used the stolen money to feed their crippling drug habit.
Woman found credit card had been used at ‘places she had not shopped’
Fiscal depute Brian Young told the court that Livingstone stole the money from the safe on October 15 last year with her mother realising the money was gone soon after.
He said: “She went to the bedroom and checked the safe and found the money was no longer there – the two accused were the only ones who had access to the safe.”
On November 5, the woman then went to check the balance on her credit card and found that £3,991 had been removed.
Mr Young added: “She found that there had been various transactions where she had not shopped.
“The victim immediately confronted the accused and they informed her that they had used the money to pay for their personal drug use.”
Livingstone’s mother then reported the pair to the police.
CCTV footage that showed Linton made 45 transactions at cash machines around Aberdeen.
‘This has obviously caused a deep rift in the family’
During an interview with cops, Livingstone – a first offender – made a “full admission” that she had taken the money from the safe.
Her defence solicitor Christopher Maitland told the court that both Livingstone and Linton had taken to drugs following the news of her cancer diagnosis and used the cash to feed their addiction.
“It seems that it became all too easy for them to take this money,” he said.
“She accepts that she wasn’t really thinking much about the consequences due to her drug addiction.
“This has obviously caused a deep rift in the family and she wants to take steps to make it right.”
Linton’s defence agent Kevin Longino said that Livingstone’s cancer diagnosis had “pulled the rug out from under him”.
He added: “He became overwhelmed by all this but has never shied away from his involvement.
“This is a very serious offence and he accepts that.”
Sheriff tells pair they should be ‘ashamed about what they did
Sheriff William Summers described the pair’s actions as “deplorable offences”.
He said: “This woman took you into her home and each of you in your own way betrayed her trust.
“I understand that between the two of you have effectively stolen her entire life savings – that is beyond deplorable and you both should be ashamed for what you have done.”
Sheriff Summers sentenced Linton, of Lorne Buildings, Aberdeen, to eight months in prison and Livingstone, of the same address, to a four-month restriction of liberty order and ordered her to compensate her mother at £200 per month.
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