Sarah Nelson, 37, was employed by Venturi Healthcare when she helped herself to the case between August 2020 and October 2022. Nelson, a mum-of-two, was paid £37,000 a year to take care of the finances for Blair House and Burgess Manor - care homes for adults with mental health needs.
In May 2022, Nelson changed role to become a project manager and a new finance director was put into her former role. As he took over the role, James Pellow raised concerns over the finances and Nelson was suspended with immediate effect. David Traynor, defending, told the court Nelson had been struggling with her role when she took the money and was often seen crying in work. There was no evidence of a lavish lifestyle, he said.
Nelson has since left her role with Venturi and has taken on a new role, being honest about her reason for leaving her former employer of 18 years. Her new employer supported her in court, saying they were impressed by her ability to turn a potentially character destroying situation into a positive. "I am satisfied by what has been uncovered that this was a sophisticated series of offending. It is plain from the methods you deployed to obtain the cash."