A Calne man conned his elderly aunt out of £600,000 before she died.
David Eggleton abused his position of power of attorney to transfer the significant sum to himself.
The fraud only became apparent when payments to his aunt Lilian’s care home repeatedly bounced.
When checked in 2020, it was discovered that there was no money in her bank account.
Police investigated and found that Eggleton had moved more than £600,000 into his own account.
The 71-year-old, of Newbury Avenue, denied the offence and a complex trial took place at Swindon Crown Court – concluding on Friday (19 January).
The defendant initially claimed that his aunt, Lilian, loaned and gifted him the money. He even produced a document showing an agreement between the pair.
However, during the trial he admitted that it was a forgery and was subsequently convicted by a jury. He was released on bail ahead of a sentencing hearing in March.
Tragically, Lilian died before justice could be served.
Detective Constable Aaron Rowe said: “This was a long and complex case where Eggleton was trusted by his Auntie Lilian who he then took advantage of.
“What is even worse is that sadly, Lilian passed away before getting justice.
“Throughout the case, right from day one, Eggleton claimed his victim loaned and gifted him the money, even pointing to a loan agreement he had created allegedly with her assistance, but during the trial he admitted that the loan agreement was fraudulently created.
“This will of no doubt had a huge impact on Lilian’s wellbeing.
“We would urge anyone who sees something suspicious or has concerns for someone to get in contact with us straight away. You can do this on our website, by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.”
