Former home care agency owner charged with stealing more than £5,000 from vulnerable woman

A former home care agency owner has appeared in court charged with stealing more than £5,000 from a vulnerable woman and using her bank card to fraudulently order goods online.

Peter James Heselwood of Cross Street in Bury appeared before magistrates at Douglas Courthouse.

The 51 year old denies fraud by false representation between June and August last year, but admitted one count of theft between the same dates.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the hearing until it shut last year Heselwood owned a company called Smiley’s People, which was based in Castletown and offered home help services.

He stole £5,637 from a housebound woman who’d used the service for years, and used her bank card to order items such as a laptop.

Magistrates bailed him in the sum of £500 and he’ll next appear in court for a pre-trial review hearing on June 15.