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Sarah Defriend, a 50-year-old former carer from Buckland Avenue in Dover, has been handed a suspended prison sentence after stealing £9,650 from a highly vulnerable man suffering from schizophrenia, despite failing to repay any of the money she took. Canterbury Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Defriend repeatedly used her victim's bank card to withdraw cash from ATMs over a two-year period between March 2023 and March 2025, funding both her gambling addiction and personal expenses. The case has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of conditional cautions and the protection of vulnerable adults in residential care settings.
Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that Defriend was employed at a residential care home where the victim's bank card was kept in a safe. As the man's key worker, she accessed his card without his knowledge or consent on multiple occasions, withdrawing funds for her own benefit. The offending came to light when a colleague established online banking for the victim and noticed discrepancies in his account. Prosecutor Emily Arnott told the court that of approximately £10,000 unaccounted for, £9,650 represented cash withdrawn from nearby ATMs. Defriend attempted to conceal her actions by recording the fraudulent spending on the victim's personal finance sheet, creating a false paper trail that initially masked the theft.
When interviewed by police, Defriend admitted using the bank card without consent and accepted that all relevant withdrawals were for her benefit. She disclosed that she was in debt and had used the money for personal expenses and gambling. The court heard that she had abused a professional position of trust and targeted a highly vulnerable victim over a considerable period.
Following her police interview and admission of responsibility, Defriend was issued a conditional caution – an out-of-court alternative to prosecution that requires the offender to comply with specific conditions within a set timeframe. In her case, the condition was to repay the stolen money by 5 September last year. However, she failed to make any repayment whatsoever, leading to her being charged with fraud by abuse of position.
Daily Dazzling Dawn learned that despite subsequently enjoying what was described in court as a "substantial" gambling win – believed to be in the thousands of pounds – Defriend still did not hand over any money to her victim. This failure to comply with the caution conditions, coupled with the windfall, painted a troubling picture of an offender who had been given every opportunity to make amends but chose not to.
Defence barrister Emily Mattin told the court that Defriend appeared to be crying in the dock and was "totally consumed by shame." She described her client as someone for whom being a carer was "more than a job" and "something she loved and was a privilege." Ms Mattin acknowledged that Defriend understood she had betrayed the values that led her into caring work.
The court heard that Defriend had now cleared her own debts, taken steps to address her gambling addiction, and saved £1,000 from her universal credit payments and by selling personal belongings to compensate the victim. She has also registered with Gamstop, an online self-exclusion scheme, to tackle her addiction. Her lawyer noted that she has work prospects at a friend's DIY shop and helping to set up small businesses that could provide further reimbursement. A probation report deemed Defriend to be at low risk of reoffending and manageable in the community.
Passing sentence, Judge Sarah Counsell told Defriend she had "some hesitation" in sparing her a spell behind bars. "This was a very serious offence. You deliberately abused a professional position of trust," the judge said. "You targeted a person who was especially vulnerable and unable to protect his own interests. Your offending was repeated and sustained over some time."
The judge noted Defriend's previous good character, early guilty plea, expressed remorse, and favourable character references. However, she also pointedly observed: "I have, however, borne in mind the probation officer's observation that despite obtaining funds through your own substantial gambling win, you made no repayment to the victim as required under your conditional caution."
In explaining her decision to suspend the sentence, Judge Counsell referenced the Sentencing Act 2026, which creates a statutory presumption that any jail term of 12 months or less is to be suspended except in exceptional circumstances. These exceptions include an offender already in custody, consecutive sentences totalling more than 12 months, offending committed while subject to an active court order, or specific risks such as serious harm. Finding no exceptional circumstances in Defriend's case and a realistic prospect of rehabilitation with low reoffending risk, the judge concluded it was appropriate to suspend the sentence.
Defriend was handed a 12-month jail term suspended for 18 months. She will be subject to a probation requirement and must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. On compensation, Judge Counsell ordered that the £1,000 already saved must be paid within 28 days, with a further £1,000 to be paid within two years. She told Defriend: "I don't want to see you back at court. Comply with the order and do all that punitive work."
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