AN unscrupulous carer has been jailed, after she stole thousands of pounds from the elderly man she was supposed to be looking after.

Crooked Jo-ann Tharle committed a “grevious breach of trust,” when she withdrew more than �10,000 from the late Ted Tyler’s bank account over a five-month period in 2008.

Shameless Tharle, who still maintains her innocence, even took the octogenarian’s cash card with her on holiday to Dorset, claiming that he asked to withdraw some cash while she was there.

She was rumbled after Mr Tyler’s relatives investigated his bank account following his death in November 2008.

Tharle withdrew a total of �10,650 on 35 separate occasions.

Yet she bought the pensioner, who was incapable of looking after himself, just one a solitary chair and pocketed the rest.

Tharle, of Meredith Road, Stevenage, appeared for sentencing at St Albans Crown Court on Friday having earlier been convicted of theft by a jury.

Prosecutor Simon Wilshire said the defendant had been the registered carer for Mr Tyler, who lived in sheltered accommodation in Hawkins Hall Lane, Datchworth.

“She used her position to go the ATM machine and withdraw �300 a time between May and October 2008,” Mr Wilshere said.

During the hearing, it emerged that Tharle was of previous good character.

Her lawyer Andrew Hallworth added: “She pleaded not guilty and still maintains that position.”

Mr Hallworth said his client accepted that using the card was wrong and told Judge Martin Griffith that she suffered from depression and back problems.

However, the judge remained unimpressed and said that Tharle had committed an act of “deliberate fraud”

“This was a very, very serious breach of trust,” he told her.

“You helped yourself to a substantial sum from his only remaining assets.

“If the relatives had not investigated this offence may never have seen the light of day.”

Sentencing Tharle to 18 months behind bars, Judge Griffith added: “The message has to go out that it is such a breach of trust that there can only be an immediate custodial sentence.

“It was such a calculated piece of dishonesty – taking money from him when you were on holiday in Dorset was barefaced.