Sheffield couple in court for stealing £95,000 from woman with dementia

David Ripley and Tracey Cooke both admitted stealing cash from their victim through making hundreds of transactions from her bank account.

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Sheffield Crown Court heard that Ripley, aged 57, of Oaks Fold Road, Shiregreen, was trusted to look after the finances of a woman from 2014. The victim was diagnosed with dementia and had been placed in a care home.

Over a four-year period Ripley, and his partner at the time Cooke, 51, “exploited and defrauded” their victim.

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Social Services and the Office of the Public Guardian alerted police in 2018 after bank statements showed substantial cash withdrawals had been made from the victim’s savings. Officers launched an investigation and found a host of fraudulent transactions.

The funds were taken from the victim’s savings account, with hundreds of cash withdrawals made, without the victim’s knowledge or consent.

On Thursday 30 September, Ripley was jailed for 39 months for fraud.

Cooke was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to attend a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

PC Lynn Robins said: “This was a shocking campaign of deceit, in which Ripley and Cooke exploited and defrauded the victim, who tragically died whilst the case was being investigated.

“Through various agencies working together to protect society’s most vulnerable, we were able to launch an investigation and bring them to justice.”