A 45 year old Zimbabwean care worker in the United Kingdom was this week found guilty of defrauding a vulnerable widower she was supposed to be looking after by stripping his estate of about £300,000.
Reports say Nozizwe Mlotshwa, who lives in Manchester, abused her position as carer to Dennis Breakwell who signed over his life savings and house to her. Only his alert solicitors became suspicious when they found 81 year old Breakwell had no money when he died in 2008.
Mlotshwa was convicted of three counts of fraud at Hereford Crown Court. She has since been released on bail and ordered to appear before the court again on 20 September for sentencing. The case came to trial after the executors of Mr. Breakwell’s estate noticed all his financial paperwork was missing after his death.
Dawn Oliver, from the law firm, said: “We knew Mr. Breakwell and we had had various dealings with him over the years. He was a very meticulous man. His finances were always kept in order and in all the dealings we had had with him as a client he knew exactly what he wanted. It came as quite a surprise to see that he didn’t own his house anymore and he didn’t have any money left.”
Mlotshwa is said to have convinced Breakwell to pay her directly for her services as a carer after he suffered a stroke. Regular payments were made into her account and the bank statements proved this.
