Woman involved in stealing vulnerable man's bank card sentenced

A woman involved in stealing a vulnerable man's bank card, used to buy alcohol, has been sentenced.

Anastasia Dearden, 28, appeared at Burnley Crown Court in March alongside Danielle Boyarin, 28, and Paul Birtwell, 32, where she pleaded guilty to burglary and two counts of fraud.

Judge Sara Dodd then decided to suspend Dearden's sentence because she had not used drugs for several months.

She wanted to see if Dearden could continue on this path and said if she was successful, she would not face immediate prison time.

The charges against Dearden related to an incident last year when, on August 30, Christopher Garside, a vulnerable man, woke up after hearing a noise in his flat in Gladstone Heights, Accrington.

Prosecuting, Emma Kehoe said Mr Garside walked into the living room and saw two women he named Danielle and “Stacey”.

LEARN MORE: Women stole vulnerable man's wallet and tried to buy alcohol with his card

Upon seeing him, the two men left the apartment and Mr Garside quickly realized they had taken his wallet with them.

He quickly received a message on his phone telling him that his credit card had been used. He then canceled the card.

Further card activations were attempted at a liquor store near Mr Garside's home, but were unsuccessful because the card had already been cancelled.

Boyarin returned to Gladstone Heights the next day to return the wallet with all the cards still there, although £100 in cash was missing.

Both women were arrested shortly afterward and offered no comment in interviews.

Ms Kehoe said Dearden's offending began when she was a minor and she had multiple convictions for failing to comply with court orders.

Dearden, of Altham Street, Burnley, was sentenced to 21 months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

Boyarin's additional offenses and those of Birtwell were unrelated to Dearden.

In March, Boyarin, of Church Street, Accrington, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to burglary, two counts of fraud, assaulting an emergency worker, causing actual bodily harm and was transported in a stolen vehicle.

Birtwell, of Burnley Road, Accrington, was found guilty of aggravated vehicle operation, dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen and driving without a license or insurance.

However, he pleaded not guilty to a separate burglary offense in Accrington on February 19, admitting he had broken in but denying any attempted theft.

He will be tried on this charge on August 13 and all counts will be sentenced together.