A callous Angus conman ended his 20-year-relationship when his partner was taken into a care home, then used her bank card to pocket almost £20,000, including splashing thousands on an escort site.
Stonemason Carey Gibb took out more than £10,000 in cash, spent thousands more – including 22 payments to escort website Midsummer – and drained an inheritance from her mother.
After claiming to remain her friend and promising to use the vulnerable woman’s bank details to pay care home fees, he instead let the 73-year-old rack up a £9,000 debt in missed payments.
Despite having been left £20,000 when her mother died, the woman was left with just £30 and her funeral plan had been unknowingly cancelled due to missed payments.
“Monster” Gibb was warned he could be jailed for his year-long swindle when he is sentenced next month.
Sick scam
At Forfar Sheriff Court, Gibb pled guilty to a year-long domestically-aggravated fraud, from August 2021.
Prosecutor Sarah Wilkinson explained Gibb, 63, and his victim had been in a relationship for 20 years.
She told the court the woman suffers from long-standing mental health issues, including “extreme” anxiety.
“The accused took on somewhat of a caring role,” Ms Wilkinson said.
Gibb was granted access to the woman’s bank card and PIN.
She received PIP and a pension and inherited £20,000 after her mother died in 2019.
“It is clear she is more of a saver than a spender,” Ms Wilkinson added.
The woman was admitted to hospital due to her declining mental health and had been, at times, unable to get out of bed due to being overcome with anxiety.
In August 2021, she moved into a care home near Arbroath.
At that stage, Gibb told her daughter he planned to separate from her as “they couldn’t have a proper relationship” and “he wanted to talk to girls”.
The woman’s daughter thought this was strange but nothing more.
Gibb did split from the woman but agreed to remain her friend and said he would continue to manage her finances, including arranging £600-a month-payments to the care home from the woman’s account.
‘Monster’
The woman’s daughter began initiating power of attorney procedures and uncovered the care home had been going unpaid and a £9,000 debt had mounted up.
She alerted social workers and a financial abuse probe revealed Gibb had been withdrawing up to £300 at a time and sometimes on consecutive days.
He was unable to provide an explanation to his victim’s daughter and when her mother found out, she was “extremely distressed” and repeatedly said she wanted to die.
She repeatedly called Gibb a “monster” and had to be sedated.
Withdrawals from the woman’s account matched deposits made into Gibb’s.
He used her money to pay for a Sky TV package and 22 payments to Midsummer, a “dating/escort” website – often at £250 a time.
The woman’s funeral plan with Sun Life had been frozen due to missed payments and had she died during Gibb’s offending, her policy would not have paid out.
Over the course of his con, Gibb only ever brought his victim one bottle of water, some chocolates and £45 worth of clothes.
She was left with just £30 in her account.
‘Trust abused’
In all, Gibb withdrew £10,500 from the woman’s account and used her details to make a further £9,461.61 of purchases.
He was interviewed by police in May 2023 and stated he only earned £1,500 a month.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown deferred sentencing until May 29 and ordered background reports.
She noted the woman has been repaid the defrauded sum of money by her bank, rather than Gibb, of Abbey Street in Arbroath.
The sheriff told the first offender: “You should be aware, Mr Gibb, that a custodial sentence is an option given the sum that’s involved and given the fact it’s a position of trust that’s been abused.”
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
