Carer jailed after elderly crime writer helps solve case of her missing £27,000

“Callous”: carer Vicky Stallon was jailed for 14 months after a court heard she stole thousands to spend gambling online
Tony Palmer/Square Mile News
Tony Palmer21 October 2015
WEST END FINAL

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The award-winning author of almost 50 whodunnits helped detectives snare a “callous” carer who drained her bank account of £27,000.

Ruth Stenstreem, 86, who has written murder-mysteries under the pen-name Marian Babson for the past 40 years, called in police when she noticed thousands of pounds had disappeared.

The writer has dementia and uses a wheelchair but is able to live independently at a flat in central London with the help of carers employed through social services.

Ms Stenstreem told detectives that one of her carers, Vicky Stallon, 27, had regularly accompanied her on trips to withdraw cash from the bank, and continued to visit as a “friend” after her paid contract ended.

When officers studied the timings of the visits, they found Stallon had paid £13,680 into her own bank, often within an hour of Ms Stenstreem making a withdrawal.

Murder mystery writer Ruth Stenstreem

Stallon, of Regent’s Park, at first insisted the remaining £13,320 was nothing to do with her — even suggesting other carers had taken it — before eventually admitting that she had spent the money gambling online.

She was sentenced to 14 months in prison at Blackfriars crown court after pleading guilty to stealing the sum between April and October last year.

Judge Peter Clarke QC told her: “You found a soft target and repeatedly preyed on that lady. She did not know what was going on until she could not find £3,000.

“You must have recognised the vulnerability of Ms Stenstreem and the least you could do as her carer was respect that. The money was spent on self-indulgence.

“Once you found you had an easy victim you returned several times and took money. This is an offence that can only be described as callous.”

Stallon was employed to help Ms Stenstreem, who was awarded the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger in the Library award for her body of work in 1996.

Mary Loram, prosecuting, said: “Ms Stenstreem was a very successful crime writer. She is not bankrupt or destitute and does have savings.”

Miss Loram said that after her contract ended Stallon “carried on visiting on a regular basis under the guise of friendship” and later told police this was “because she felt like family”.

The court made no compensation order after being told Stallon has no assets. Her lawyer Richard Barratt said: “She spiralled down into significant depression and the best way to alleviate that was gambling, which she describes as an out of body experience.

“She accepts it is utterly appalling what she did.”

Ms Stenstreem was born in Massachusetts in 1929 but has spent most of her life in London. The sleuths in her books are usually bumbling amateurs and the plots frequently feature cats.

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