Carer who stole from vulnerable Salisbury man is jailed

A CARER who stole around £18,000 from a vulnerable Salisbury man has been jailed.

Mahmed Javid Chichanwala, of Chapel Mews, Brighton and Hove, was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment after admitting theft, saying he stole the money to feed a gambling habit and to send money to friends and family.

The offences took place between May and August 2022, shortly after 43-year-old Chichanwala moved into the property in Salisbury to care for the victim – a man in his 90s who had been diagnosed with dementia.

The court heard he soon began taking advantage of the victim, using their debit card to frequently withdraw hundreds of pounds from ATMs before depositing it in his own account.

He also directly transferred money into his own account with the reference as the victim’s name followed by ‘expense’, and also transferred substantial amounts of money to a friend to repay a debt.

His offences were spotted after a cheque from the victim’s account to a family member’s account bounced, and, following enquiries at the bank, Wiltshire Police officers were notified and Chichanwala was arrested.

He pleaded guilty to theft at the first opportunity.

At a hearing at Winchester Crown Court on Friday (30 June), Chichanwala was sentenced to 16 months in prison. He will serve half in jail and the other half on licence.

Investigating officer DC Dominic Maidment said: “Chichanwala was put in a position of trust over the victim and immediately betrayed them for his own gain.

“He stole thousands of pounds from the victim over the course of multiple transactions, taking advantage of the victim’s vulnerability to repay debts he owed and to fund a significant gambling addiction. I am pleased that Chichanwala pleaded guilty at the first opportunity so as not to put the victim and his family through a trial.”