Worthing Man Guilty Of Stealing More Than £140,000 From Disabled Sister

A Worthing man who stole more than £140,000 from his disabled sister has been found guilty at court.

Graeme Brooker, 54, of Vale Avenue in Worthing, had power of attorney over his sister, Cheryl, who had been left physically and mentally impaired following a series of strokes.

The court heard Brooker made direct transfers from his sister’s bank account to his own of up to £20,000 at a time, as well as monthly transfers of £1,050 disguised as payments such as ‘cleaner’, ‘gardener’ and ‘laundry/shopping’.

He had taken over Cheryl’s finances from early 2013, and in May, 2015, received full lasting power of attorney.

He also made out a number of cheques from her account to himself up to £2,100 at a time and used cheques from her account to pay off his own credit card bills.

In total, Brooker was found to have taken £139,833 from Cheryl’s account through transfers and cheques.

He also claimed carer’s allowance from the Department of Work and Pensions, totalling more than £11,500, claiming he was unable to work due to providing unpaid care for his sister.

Brooker’s crimes were discovered by family members following a civil dispute between Cheryl and himself.

Cheryl had sold her own house to fund the building of a house for her to live in in Brooker’s garden.

But Brooker refused to allow her to move in unless she signed a contract giving him control over who visited and stipulating the property would become his upon her death.

The housing dispute and thefts left Cheryl homeless and penniless.

Brooker was arrested after Cheryl’s family found her bank accounts were empty in 2019, despite having earned a significant salary before her medical incidents.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of theft and a lengthy trial period followed, during which Brooker’s defence attempted to prove Cheryl was unfit to be cross-examined.

After over a year of tests and assessments ruled she was fit to give evidence, the defence team declined to cross-examine her.

At Chichester Crown Court on Thursday, December 1, Brooker was found guilty of two charges and released on conditional bail ahead of sentencing.

He is due to be sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on Friday, January 13, 2023.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Noel Simmonds said:

“This case is a timely reminder, during Disability History Month, of the incredible strength and resilience seemingly vulnerable people can show.

“Graeme Brooker took advantage of his sister’s trust and the privileged position in which he was placed, showing no regard for her wellbeing while pursuing his own ends.

“I hope this verdict helps to restore in some part Cheryl’s belief in herself as the tough and indomitable person she has always been, and to restore to some extent her faith in others.”