An Aberdeen woman who scammed the family of a boy with learning difficulties out of nearly £4,000 has been ordered to pay them compensation.
Donna Stewart, 46, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted claiming payment for work she never carried out as a care assistant for the child.
Stewart continued to submit timecards for the role despite quitting the job after only three weeks.
Her solicitor told the court that Stewart was going through some “financial difficulties” at the time.
However, Sheriff Gordon Lamont told Stewart she had carried out a “disgusting offence” upon the family of the boy and “taken advantage of the situation”.
Ashamed of her callous actions, Stewart covered her face as she sprinted from the court building.
Quit job after three weeks
Fiscal depute Sophia Ramzan told the court that the boy suffers from a number of learning difficulties and therefore requires a care assistant.
The family receive 40 hours a week funding for the role from the council.
At the beginning of September 2022, the boy’s father had advertised for a new care assistant for his son, hiring Stewart in December of that year.
However, Stewart only lasted a total of three weeks in the job and told the boy’s father she could no longer work due to the commute.
The man then contacted his son’s social worker to advise that Stewart no longer worked for him and the recruitment process started again, filling the role a few months later.
However, it was subsequently discovered that Stewart was still submitting timesheets for hours she hadn’t worked.
The total amount taken in the fraud was £3,923.
None of the money has been recovered.
In the dock, Stewart pleaded guilty to one charge of obtaining money by fraud.
‘Quite disgusting’
Defence solicitor Alex Burn told the court that his client “takes no issue with what’s occurred here”.
“The report into her background indicates she was going through financial difficulties herself at the time of this offence,” the solicitor said.
“She also has mental health difficulties that she is still going through.
“Ms Stewart did put in these timesheets and the fraud is admitted.”
Sheriff Lamont described Stewart’s actions as a “quite disgusting offence” and one where she had “taken advantage of a situation”.
“This wasn’t simply a one-off, this was a course of conduct in which you claimed for work you had not done.”
The sheriff added that while a prison sentence would have been appropriate, he was “just persuaded” to deal with Stewart’s case through a non-custodial disposal.
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Lamont made Stewart, of Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision for two tears and ordered her to carry out 133 hours of unpaid work.
He also ordered her to pay the family of the boy £1,200 in compensation.
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