A middle-aged caregiver yesterday admitting stealing almost $16,000 from her vulnerable elderly patient after gaining "total control" of his life.

Gaynette Holder is likely to be jailed next month for abusing the position of trust she was placed in when hired to look after former marine pilot George Welch, who celebrated his 100th birthday last October.

The 47-year-old, who admitted 13 counts of theft at Magistrates' Court, moved herself and her family rent-free into Mr. Welch's home in St. George's, relegating him to a downstairs apartment after obtaining his power of attorney in 2005, and using his money for "spectacular" shopping sprees.

The widower, a man of means after a "lifetime of gainful employment", had been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia and had no relatives on the Island.

Holder, of Park Lane, Pembroke, drew money from his bank accounts to pay off her debts and bills and bought jewellery and furniture for herself and her family, as well as stealing the pensioner's belongings.

Prosecutor Robert Welling told the court that during the time Holder looked after Mr. Welch, his life savings of more than $110,000 were depleted to less than $20,000.

Mr. Welch's only living relative, Esther James-Liverpool, from Tennessee, told The Royal Gazette that Holder was eventually caught out by a family friend who called her to say: "You need to see what they have done to him."

Mrs. James-Liverpool immediately flew to the Island, threw Holder and her relatives out of her uncle's home and called Police. Mr. Welling told the court the defendant was hired in February 2005 to clean and cook meals for Mr. Welch, through home help agency We Care, when he became infirm.

By June, she had secured the elderly man's power of attorney and the following month he began employing her directly, dispensing with the agency. Mr. Welling said: "Having started as his carer, a role overseen by We Care, by July 27, 2005 the defendant had gained total control of Mr. Welch's life."

He said analysis of the senior's bank accounts showed that he lived within his means in 2004, having a monthly income of $1,400, spending about $1,300 and not drawing on his savings accounts. His expenses increased in 2005 due to him buying a new car, needing care and costly medical treatment overseas. But by the time Mrs. Holder gained "full control of his life", said Mr. Welling, his average monthly expenditure was $14,397.

"Spending on such a scale could not be sustained for long and, by December 2005, shortly before the Police were involved, the spending had returned to 'normal' levels, but by that time Mr. Welch's fortune was all but gone," he said, adding that Mr. Welch's dementia made him "an easy and vulnerable target".

Holder originally faced 14 charges of theft, amounting to more than $32,000, all of which she denied. She changed her pleas to guilty for 13 of the counts as her trial was due to begin yesterday. The prosecution did not proceed with a charge of stealing $16,250 in cash drawn on Mr. Welch's credit card. The offences Holder admitted took place throughout 2005 and included using cheques to obtain a total of $15,856 and stealing four watches, three sets of cufflinks and three sets of tie pins.

Charles Richardson, mitigating, said Mr. Welch was deemed compos mentis by a doctor before he handed power of attorney to Holder. He said his client had no previous convictions and had been a carer for years without incident. "It's our position that Mr. Welch freely offered and consented to spend large amounts of money on Mrs. Holder," he said.

Holder's bail was extended until sentencing on April 17 and a social inquiry report was ordered. Mr. Welling said a prison term was being sought and Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo told Holder she should not consider the bail an indication of her likely sentence.