Danielle Houghton: Lancaster carer stole from elderly woman with dementia to fund KFC, tanning, gambling habit

A woman has been jailed after she stole more than $20,000 from the wife of an elderly bed-bound man she was supposed to be caring for.

Danielle Houghton, 32, stole a bank card from the 91-year-old woman, who suffered with dementia.

In just three months, she racked up a total spend of $20,591, and had tried to get a further sum of $1647.

Houghton withdrew $15,855 of the money from ATMs so she could spend it in cash, and used the remaining $4736 on a slew of excessive purchases.

The former carer from Lancaster blew through the money on trips to tanning salons, gambling sites, Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions, Sports Direct, KFC, petrol, alcohol and cigarettes according to a statement released by Lancashire Constabulary on Wednesday.

Her spending spree began in November 2023 and continued on until the 91-year-old’s children realised that the transactions did not add up.

An investigation was launched, but sadly both the 91-year-old woman and her 92-year-old husband died while police were still piecing together what happened.

Houghton was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison at Preston Crown Court on August 22 after she pleaded guilty to theft and fraud by false representation.

The couple’s son outlined the effect of Houghton’s actions on his family in his impact statement read in court at the sentencing.

“’Something bad has been done to me, but I cannot remember what it is…’ That heart breaking phrase was my frail, vulnerable, and deeply upset Mum’s constant refrain,” he said.

“’Something bad has been done to me.’ She carried that desolate anxiety to her grave, unable to quietly enjoy the tranquillity of her home and garden in her final months, haunted by a distress she couldn’t resolve.

“Danielle Houghton’s criminal actions have also regrettably tarnished the reputation of care providers in a sector already facing immense challenges.”

The 91-year-old’s daughter expressed her sadness as well.

“Sadly, Mum didn’t live to know that the person who defrauded her of almost ($21,000) eventually met justice. Instead, this fiercely independent but ultimately vulnerable 91-year-old lady died, knowing that she couldn’t trust those coming into her house to help care for her bed-bound husband,” she told the court.

Peter Bennett, a Lancaster police officer, said Houghton’s actions were despicable.

“Houghton’s selfish actions against a vulnerable lady are despicable. I welcome the prison sentence handed down to her which not only punishes her actions, but sends out a clear message to others who might be tempted to offended in a similar manner,” he said.

“Their mother died not knowing that the person responsible for taking half her life savings had faced justice, and their father also died during the course of the investigation, which increases the suffering of the family.”