A CARE home boss who stole more than £30,000 from an 87-year-old resident to fuel her online gambling addiction will have to pay back just over half of that amount.

Burnley Crown Court heard how 51-year-old Julie Williams’ offending came to light in April 2016 when she walked into Burnley Police Station saying she had taken an overdose of pain killers and needed to be punished for stealing money from Clifford Goodall.

The mother-of-two had worked as manager at Hilton Residential Home in Padiham for 15 years and had gained the trust of Mr Goodall to such an extent that he gave her his bank card and pin number to withdraw money on his behalf, the prosecution said.

But the court heard that Williams, of Partridge Hill Street, Padiham, began to abuse that trust in January 2015 by making cash withdrawals of up to £250 on an almost daily basis to fund her addiction to online slot machines.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker said that her addiction was so severe that Williams would on occasion gamble an entire month’s wages and then transfer money into her bank account to pay her bills.

Mr Parker said: “The police investigation itself began in an unusual way.

“Shortly after 4.20pm on April 25, 2016 the defendant walked into Burnley Police Station saying she had consumed 40 to 50 tablets.

“While there she told PC Hussain, ‘I have done a horrible thing.

‘I have been stealing money from one of the residents where I have been working. I just want to die. I want to kill myself.

‘I have got a gambling addiction. I thought I would make it back but I just got deeper and deeper. Arrest me. I don’t deserve to live. I won’t be able to live in Padiham’.”

The prosecutor said that because of the police’s concern for her welfare Williams was transferred to Burnley General Hospital and she spent three weeks in the psychiatric ward.

After being released from hospital, Williams was interviewed by police, and she made ‘full and frank admissions’ regarding the fraud.

Mr Parker said: “She said she worked at the care home for 15 years.

“On one particular occasion Mr Goodall had given her the card because he needed a payment to be made.

“On that occasion he provided her with his pin number.

“On another occasion he asked her to take money from his bank account.

“He said to her she should keep the card because he trusted her.”

Mr Parker said the victim, who was originally from London, had intended to move back home to be closer to his family, but decided not to as he wanted to stay with Williams, who he described as a ‘good ‘un’.

Mr Parker said the fraud totalled £30,388.

Williams, who had no previous convictions before the fraud offence, told police she had no money of her own to repay the debt and ‘is in the red’.

Defending, Philip Holden said his client had led an ‘isolated existence’ since her offending had come to light. The barrister added that Williams was always of the view that she needed to be punished for what she had done.

After pleading guilty to a single count of fraud Williams was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment, but it was suspended for 21 months. She was also given a two-month curfew which has since expired.

The case was listed for a proceeds of crime hearing at the crown court yesterday where Recorder Stephen Bedford ordered Williams to pay back £15,332 within three months. If she fails to do that she will be jailed for seven months.