“Cold, cruel and calculated” carer jailed for fraud

A carer who used the bank details of vulnerable care home residents to gamble and buy takeaway food has been sentenced.

Cheryl Louise Pratt, 35, from York, was a senior support worker at a care home in the city.

But she used her position to target elderly and vulnerable residents – taking money from their bank accounts for her own gain.

Following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police, she was sentenced to two years imprisonment at York Crown Court on Tuesday 15 April 2025.

Pratt’s crimes came to light when the brother of one of the victims noticed unexpected activity on her bank account. An internal investigation was carried out, she was dismissed, and police were called in.

It was discovered that Pratt had set up online accounts in the names of residents. She transferred money from the residents’ bank accounts into those online accounts, and then into her own account. The majority of this money was spent on gambling websites.

She also used a resident’s bank details to make online purchases, ordering takeaway food, clothes and gifts for her family.

When interviewed by police, she claimed that all cash withdrawals had been made with the account holder’s permission. But a doctor responsible for overseeing their medical care gave evidence that none of the victims would have been able to provide true consent for anyone to take money from their accounts.

Pratt was charged with five counts of fraud, between August 2020 and September 2021 – representing a total financial loss to five victims of just over £17,000. She pleaded guilty at York Crown Court.

DC Oliver Dalby, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Cheryl Pratt’s offending was cold, cruel and calculated. As a senior carer, she knew which residents would be the most vulnerable to financial exploitation – and these were the people she targeted.

“She abused her position, disregarding her duty to safeguard the care home residents in pursuit of her own self-interest.

“The victims and her former colleagues have been left utterly devastated by her actions, and it is right that she faces the consequences of her crimes.

I’d also like to thank the victims and the care home staff for their patience and support during this investigation.”