A CREWE woman has admitted stealing £43,000 from her own mother who was living in a care home.

Cassie Stubbs, of Smallman Road, Crewe, pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, March 28, to theft from Rosita Stubbs and was given a suspended jail term.

The 40-year-old was given sole access to her mother’s bank accounts to buy her cigars.

Stubbs would bring the cigars and some money to her mother, who suffered from schizophrenia, at Audlem Care Home, Audlem, but in April 2017 she stopped visiting her.

A social worker who helped Stubbs’ mother with her bank statements found a large number of fraudulent transactions to Stubbs, and that her three accounts had been reduced to balances of 87p, 18p and 11p.

Stubbs’ mother died in September aged 68 and her family were left to pay funeral costs and some debt.

A statement from Rosita Stubbs’ family said: “We as a family are absolutely devastated with the cold, callous actions of Cassie Stubbs that left our mother unable to afford the daily essentials or a funeral.

“Not only did we have to suffer the pain of losing our mother, but we soon found out that our own sister took advantage of our mother who was vulnerable and suffered mental illness.”

DC Katie Mowe said: “Stubbs stole a significant amount of money from her mother, who was mentally ill and living in a care home. This is an awful crime and the rest of the family have been left with significant debts to pay.”

Stubbs was handed an 18 month jail term, suspended for two years.

She was also given a 12 month community order with a rehabilitation programme, a three-month curfew and ordered to do 120 hours of community service.