Ash Morningstar, 32, from Nottingham, has been jailed after taking more than £30,000 from the former soldier’s bank account over a 10-month period
A care worker “wickedly” stole more than £30,000 from a blind and bed-bound ex-soldier before squandering it on OnlyFans.
Ash Morningstar, 32, from Basford, Nottingham, transferred money from the now dead man’s account into his and withdrew cash to spend on himself. As well as OnlyFans he splashed the money on jewellery, airsoft equipment and other items over a 10 month period.
But he has now been jailed at Nottingham Crown Court for 16 months. Recorder Balraj Bhatia KC said: “This is, for whatever reason, a sustained piece of wicked and dishonest behaviour against a vulnerable man.
“He was 76 or 77 and an ex-serviceman, and what started as a good relationship was taken over by greed – it became all too easy to snowball over time.
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“You made a decision over a period of 10 months to defraud (the victim) of just shy of £33,000, and that money was spent on goods for yourself, your partner, and holidays.
“I don’t know how you felt when you were on holiday, knowing the money came from a man who served his country and who, in his dying years, his last memory of humanity was how he was exploited by you.
“Wicked is the word I would use; you knew better than anyone how vulnerable he was. This (became) ongoing fraud on a daily basis, and the money was being spent on and above (your) income – jewellery and more.”
Mark Knowles, prosecuting, said Morningstar was employed by Ardent Care in 2022, and at the time he was assigned to be his carer, the victim was in his late 70s and lived in St Ann’s, reported NottinghamshireLive.
He said: “He was registered as blind and bed-bound, and in June 2023, his assigned social worker became aware of unexplained payments and withdrawals which had gone out of his accounts.
“Money had been transferred into this defendant’s account, and there were also payments for shops such as Greggs and McDonald’s, and the matter was reported to the police.
“The victim was interviewed and told the police that the defendant was ‘a good lad’ and considered him a friend. He said the defendant had talked about a holiday in Italy and that he (the victim) gave him money for that.
“He said he had agreed to leave money to Mr Morningstar and his children in his will, but that is not subject to the charge, and I understand the defendant made arrangements for a solicitor to attend his house and discuss the will.”
Mr Knowles said the victim told officers he allowed the defendant to set up online banking for him, but did not give him permission to transfer funds or withdraw his cash. He said a spreadsheet showed that in total, £32,974.04 was fraudulently stolen.
The prosecutor said: “There is a spreadsheet of payments which shows on March 6, 2023, there was a payment of £625 for jewellery; on April 17, £467 for airsoft equipment and other payments including OnlyFans, Greggs, McDonald’s and Primark.”
He read out part of a victim impact statement made by the now deceased’s social worker in which she said he was “frail, just skin and bone” and was “angry and distrustful of authority” following the discovery that his cash had been taken.
The social worker said: “He had no family, spent most of his time in bed due to his physical state, and this had a deep, psychological impact on him. His final wish was that any money he had when he died be donated to animal charities.”
Morningstar pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and has no previous convictions. Julia King, mitigating, said her client is a father, pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had provided letters to the court from himself, his mother and his current partner.
She said: “It was an unpleasant abuse of trust targeting a particularly vulnerable victim over a sustained period of time. (The victim) was a feisty individual who served in the armed services in the Marines.
“But my client did not set out to defraud him in the way he did from the outset. He was offered small sums by the victim to begin with and he refused that.
“There have been no charges relating to the will, in fact there was no will, and the will-writing appointment was made before any fraudulent behaviour began. He is disgusted and appalled that he behaved in the way he did. He is now in a settled relationship, and they are expecting a child in May.”
