A CARER who stole a vulnerable man’s life savings wept in the dock as he was jailed for a year.

‘Legal high’ addict Jordan Quincey visited the Wimborne home of wheelchair-user Leonard Smith most days as part of his job with Bluebird Care, Ferndown.

Over the course of around three months in 2016, Quincey stole more than £6,000 from the 65-year-old’s bank account.

Mr Smith died on Christmas Day. His son Wayne said the family believe Quincey’s offences directly contributed to Mr Smith’s death.

The theft came to light on October 13 2016 when the victim noticed thousands of pounds were missing from his account.

The money was repaid by Lloyds Bank and Aqua Credit.

When he was arrested, Quincey, of Holdenhurst Road in Bournemouth, confessed that he had taken money from the account in 35 individual withdrawals.

“There was a high level of trust and Mr Smith was a vulnerable victim,” Jane Rowley, prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, said. “[The defendant] admitted it was ‘evil’.”

Robert Harding, mitigating, said: “In terms of these offences, there are no excuses whatsoever – just reasons.

“Those reasons are addiction and stupidity.”

Mr Harding said Quincey was in the “grip of drugs” at the time of his offences.

“Under this cloud of addiction he committed acts which will forever haunt him,” he said.

Quincey, 23, has no previous convictions. He admitted two counts of theft.

Sentencing Quincey to 12 months in prison, Recorder Simon Levene said the offences constituted a “gross breach of trust”.

“The last months of [Mr Smith’s] life were clouded by distress,” he said.

Speaking after the case, the victim’s son Wayne said: “I’m pleased that the sentence wasn’t suspended.

“It put my dad through a lot of distress. It contributed to his death because he was under so much stress.

“He was in tears on the phone to me about it. He died on Christmas Day and he didn’t have the chance to meet his grandchild.”