Fraudster sentenced to prison for forging £175k will at care home

The leader of a group of three care home executives, who falsified an elderly resident's will to unlawfully claim her 175,000 estate, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

All three individuals were found guilty of financially exploiting 85-year-old Rita Barnsley, in what is considered one of the UK's most significant cases of its type. Jamiel Slaney-Summers, the former manager of Amberley Care Home in Dudley, West Midlands, was convicted of fraud and stealing 6,000 from Miss Barnsley.

During the sentencing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Judge John Butterfield stated that Slaney-Summers was the "primary instigator behind the creation" of the fraudulent will.

Rita Barnsley, a resident of Amberley Care Home in Dudley, passed away in the summer of 2021. Graham and Lyn Walker, the owners of the care home, were also found guilty of fraud and will face sentencing at a later date.

Miss Barnsley had been admitted to the care home for respite care after her health declined in May 2020. Investigators from Dudley Trading Standards revealed that the fake will was likely drafted in the summer of 2021, soon after her death. The fraud came to light when her cousin and only remaining relative, Verna, reported her concerns to the Care Quality Commission in September of the same year.

This case highlights the importance of vigilance and oversight in care homes to protect vulnerable residents from financial abuse.

Author: Olivia Parker