A CARER who systematically stole cash from a disabled woman she was supposed to be looking after is facing a jail sentence for her "despicable" crimes.

And today it was revealed that it took months for the 33-year-old victim, who is without speech or hearing and suffers from severe learning difficulties, to recover from the trauma of the thefts.

Nicola Hill, 28, of Brownhill Road, Blackburn, stole a total of £600 from Jackie Feathers when she lived at Richardson House, Blackburn, which is run by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.

For the past seven years she has lived an independent life with the assistance of outreach workers.

The crimes came to light after Hill had left her employment with the RNID in May of last year.

Hill had been making withdrawals from an account over a period of time. She later wrote to the RNID admitting what she had done and expressing regret that she had stolen from a very vulnerable victim.

Hill pleaded guilty at Blackburn magistrates to three offences of theft and asked for seven further offences to be taken into consideration.

She was committed to Preston Crown Court for sentence after the magistrates decided their powers of punishment -- 12 months in prison -- were not sufficient.

After the hearing, Jackie's mother Elizabeth, of Downham Avenue, Great Harwood, revealed that Jackie had gauged her face with her finger nails in self recrimination and signed that she was 'the devil' after she was interviewed by police through a sign language interpreter.

"She thought she had done something wrong because the police went to see her and she got really down," said Mrs Feathers. "We have done our best to get her to forget about the whole incident.

"She was doing so well with the help of the people from Richardson House and they have been brilliant."

Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, told the court that Jackie is profoundly deaf and without speech and has only a limited grasp of English. She has difficulty recognising the structure of a bill or a bank account and has severe learning difficulties.

"Members of the outreach team helped her with her financial affairs and Nicola Hill was one of those primarily responsible for assisting Jackie," said Ms Worsley. She told how Hill had access to Jackie's Alliance and Leicester bank account through her bank card and pin number.

When interviewed by the police Hill admitted encouraging Jackie to transfer money from her savings account into the Alliance and Leicester account to maintain the level of funds. Adrian Williams, defending, said Hill conceded that Jackie had been a vulnerable victim and felt genuine remorse and shame over what she had done. "She herself considers her actions to be despicable," said Mr Williams. "She used the money to keep herself afloat at a time of crisis and intended to pay it back. "

Mr Williams said that since the investigation started Hill had taken on three jobs, all of which she will now lose, and had managed to save £800, which she had paid over to repay what she had stolen.