A VOLUNTARY carer stole life-savings from a blind woman she looked upon as a mother replacing the stolen cash with pieces of paper.

A court heard how Sylvia Floyd, 46, of Melville Drive, Blackburn, took more than £4,000 from Ella Slezak, 79, and replaced it with cut up pieces of paper to fool her blind victim.

Floyd had known her victim, who was totally dependent on her, for 38 years, and was close to Mrs Slezak, of Devonport Court sheltered accommodation, Blackburn, when she carried out the mean and despicable' thefts.

Floyd's crimes were discovered after Blackburn with Darwen Council decided to get an injunction stopping her from visiting Mrs Slezak, due to concern from other residents.

She was charged with two offences of theft and one of obtaining services by deception, and today police slammed the thief as she was jailed for four months.

Detective Constable John Mather, who led the investigation, said: "Sylvia Floyd took advantage of a woman she was supposed to be caring for and systematically stole money from her for several years.

"For a woman of relatively good character this is a good sentence and hopefully will send a message to people that it isn't acceptable."

Preston Crown Court heard how victim Mrs Slezak became blind around seven years ago and the defendant took it upon herself to care for her, on an informal basis.

The elderly widow moved to Devonport Court, where Floyd then got work as a cleaner, before she lost her job because of suspected dishonesty, regarding another resident there, said David Macro, prosecuting.

However, she still visited the sheltered accommodation because Mrs Slezak was totally dependent on her, and the pensioner would give her £70 a week for her to pay for shopping and keep what was left over.

But Mrs Slezak's electricity, rent and water bills were not being paid. Floyd was spoken to and it was decided that a ringbinder would be kept of paid receipts.

A couple of months later it was decided that an injunction would be obtained to prevent her going to the accommodation.

Receipts were missing when the ringbinder was checked and the defendant admitted missing payments, explaining she had needed to find £200 because she was threatened with eviction.

Mr Macro said: "Mrs Slezak told a care worker she should have £900 in her handbag that she had been saving to make a donation to charity. This was supposedly in three envelopes.

"But the envelopes had no money in them, only pieces of paper which had been cut up to deceive the blind lady."

Floyd also withdrew money from her victim's bank account, but instead of replacing it with a cheque for £3,200, she used a Job Centre information booklet as a cheque book and a fast food flyer with the sum written on it.

The defendant had also opened a credit card account in the woman's name, without authority. Mrs Slezak then went on to receive a demand for £407 payment. Floyd had a previous conviction for dishonesty.

But Roger Baldwin, defending, said there was no doubt that she had been a great help to Mrs Slezak for a number of years.

Floyd had never used the money extravagantly, and had the bailiffs at her door more than once.

He said: "For someone who had committed what can only be described as a mean and despicable series of offences at least she has done what she could in terms of admitting her responsibility to police and pleading guilty at the first opportunity."

He added: "Her friends and her neighbours have shunned her. She doesn't go out because people she recognises walk past her and will not speak."