Wirral man in court after mum and son took money from resident

Samara Kareem, 44, and her son Yousef Kareem, 24, both of Heywood Road, Prestwich, have been sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

Ms Kareem admitted two counts of dishonestly making false representation, while Mr Kareem pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly making false representation and one count of aquiring criminal property. 

Claire Brocklebank, prosecuting, told the court that Ms Kareem stole money from an elderly resident at Spurr House Residential Care Home in Bury after she applied for a job there in 2018.

Ms Kareem resigned from her role the following year without giving a reason.

In her application, Ms Kareem failed to declare two previous convictions relating to theft, including an incident in which she stole a jumper from Debenhams in 2008.

A few days after Ms Kareem left her job at the care home, transactions were made from the elderly resident’s bank account totalling around £28,500.

The court heard that the resident, who was in her 80s, kept bank statements in her room which would have made it clear that she was in possession of a significant amount of money.

The court heard that Ms Kareem and her son spent some of the money on luxury items, including jeans from Selfridges costing £513 and a Gucci belt, which cost £715.

Ms Brocklebank said: “Samara and Yousef Kareem were on a spending spree with [the woman’s] money.”

William Staunton, defending Ms Kareem, told the court his client was "at low risk of reoffending", "had been cooperative with the investigation" and felt "ashamed" of what she had done.

He noted, however, that she had "brought her children into the realm of criminality and has not been a good parent".

Ben Berkson, defending Mr Kareem, said his client was now in work as a chef, which is his "skill and passion".

He told the court: [Mr Kareem is] a different man today than he was then.”

Four others, Joshua Lewis, Tyrone Oluwa, Elijah Osunde, and Temitope Ojo, all aged 24, have also been sentenced after receiving various amounts of the stolen money to their bank accounts. 

The court heard they kept £1,000 for themselves and withdrew the rest.

Lewis, of Hoylake Road, Wirral, pleaded guilty to one count of transferring criminal property.

Betsy Lewis, defending, told the court her client did not initially know that the money he received was stolen.

She said: “[Mr Lewis] did not gain financially from this.”

Colette Renton, defending Oluwa, said her client was working in customer service but training to become a software developer.

Oluwa, of Victoria Avenue, Whitefield, pleaded guilty to two counts of acquiring criminal property and two counts of transferring criminal property. 

Ms Renton said: “I ask to take into account his guilty plea.”

Ojo, of Walphall Street, Crewe, who pleaded guilty to two counts of acquiring criminal property and one count of transferring criminal property, was not present in court and will be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on March 8. 

A warrant has been issued for Osunde, of Beech Mount, Manchester, who pleaded guilty to one count of acquiring criminal property but failed to attend the hearing. 

The victim, who died in March 2021, was described in court by her daughter as a previously strong and healthy woman who took pride in her work as a caretaker at a local school.

Throughout her life she had taken multiple jobs to take care of her family, and her savings were paying for her care at Spurr House.

In his concluding remarks, Recorder Mark Ainsworth, told Ms Kareem: “You should be deeply ashamed.”

To Mr Kareem, he said: “It seems to be that you were the lynch pin of what took place.”

He handed both Samara and Yousef Kareem a sentence of 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Lewis and Oluwa were both ordered to pay back the stolen money that had been transferred to them and to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work.