A SHAMED Glasgow carer stole thousands from a 95-year-old woman she was supposed to be looking after. 

Catherine Freel, 62, from Knightswood, escaped a jail sentence despite siphoning off £2500 from the savings of Mary Devitt to pay off spiralling gambling debts.

But the family of the ‘vulnerable’ pensioner blasted the “breeze” of a sentence handed to Freel – who ‘broke her victim’s heart’.

Great niece Janice Hall said: “It was so devious. 

“My auntie was befriended and visited on a daily basis. 

“Cathie deserves to be named and shamed. 

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“The poor woman – it has absolutely destroyed Mary. She thought Cathie was her friend. I had been good friends and worked for her as a volunteer for two years. 

“I knew in my heart of hearts it was her and it had to be someone Mary trusted. I would like to ask why she did that. 

She added: “Everyone who’s been speaking to me feels she’s getting off very lightly.”

Mary, was born in Co Cavan in Ireland and later worked for the UK Government before moving to Scotland from Lowestoft, Suffolk, five years ago.

Janice, Mary’s only family, told the Evening Times’ sister title, the Clydebank Post: “Mary still thinks Cathie will phone and apologise.”
She added: “I can’t believe she has got to 95 and this is to be her last big memory – it broke my heart. 

“But now I’m just angry and want people to be warned about not just Cathie’s dishonesty, but also the calculated way she went about befriending and gaining my aunt’s trust then plotting and stealing from her.”

Freel stole Mary’s Bank of Scotland card sometime between February 1 and May 7 from a flat at a sheltered housing complex in Church Place, Old Kilpatrick.

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Freel escaped a jail sentence on Friday after a sheriff allowed her to carry out unpaid work for the community.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard how she used a PIN number to withdraw £2,500 in six withdrawals from ATMs in Glasgow and Clydebank. 

The thefts happened between May 7 and 15 at machines at Tesco, Anniesland Road, Glasgow, the Co-op, Lennox Place, Clydebank, Clydesdale Bank, Sylvania Way, and Sainsbury’s, Great Western Retail Park, Drumchapel. 

Prosecutor Ian Meacock told the court: “Church Place is a sheltered housing complex with 26 flats. The victim was aged 95 and Freel was her carer.

“On May 21, this year, the elderly woman received her bank statement and saw six transactions that she did not recognise.

“Between May 7 and 15 there had been various cash withdrawals at a variety of cash points. There was four withdrawals of £500 and one each of £300 and £200. She contacted her niece who spoke to the fraud department at the Bank of Scotland.

“The victim remembered Freel having ordered a new PIN number for her, but didn’t think anything of it at the time.

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“The fraud team began their investigations and recovered CCTV footage from all of the ATMs. On each occasion Freel was seen approaching the machine and withdrawing cash using a card and PIN number.”

Police went to Freel’s home in Archerhill Road, Knightswood, on May 30, and arrested her. 

“Police attended at her home on May 30. She was arrested, taken to Clydebank police office where she was cautioned and charged and gave a no comment interview.”

Defence lawyer Peter Young said: “She is under no illusion that the court could impose a custodial sentence, despite her lack of record. The bank has repaid the money.”

Sheriff John Hamilton told Freel: “Aged 62 and you appear before this court as a first offender on a deeply shameful crime. You stole from a 95-year-old woman who trusted you. This is not just shameful, it’s shocking.

“You deliberately got her to get a new PIN number. 

“You knew she was vulnerable. 

“It is only your good fortune that the bank has repaid the money to her.

“You did all of this all because you got yourself into gambling debts which you couldn’t control. This was really a quite offensive crime.”

Freel was put on a community payback order for 12 months and told to carry out 200 hours of community service.

In response, Inspector Roddy MacNeill, of Dumbarton police office, said: “Police Scotland take these incidents very seriously and our officers do everything they can to detect those responsible and keep people in the community safe. We would like to take this opportunity to remind people to protect passwords and pin numbers and under no circumstances should you give out personal details over the phone, internet or in person.”