Want Stoke-on-Trent news emailed to you direct from our journalists? Sign up to our newsletter Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A retired Staffordshire Police officer has been jailed for stealing around £180,000 from his disabled cousin.

John Gimbert abused his position as power of attorney for Janette Trim, who suffers from severe learning disabilities, by moving thousands of pounds of her money into a ‘labyrinthine number of bank accounts’.

The 65-year-old also transferred a bungalow belonging to her, which was worth at least £50,000, to his son David Gimbert for just £1. His son is a serving sergeant with Staffordshire Police.

Both John and David Gimbert were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud Miss Trim, who is in her sixties, following a retrial at Birmingham Crown Court. It came after a jury failed to reach a verdict at an earlier hearing in February.

John Gimbert, of Westwood Park Avenue, Leek , was also found guilty of four charges of theft during the original trial.

Now John Gimbert has been jailed for three-and-a-half years, while his 37-year-old son was handed a suspended sentence.

(Image: Express and Star)

The court heard John Gimbert helped himself to Miss Trim’s inheritance between 2002 and 2004, following the death of her father, so it could benefit his two sons and daughter.

He also bought three new Chrysler cars – worth more than £30,000 altogether – with money taken from her accounts.

The court heard David Gimbert, of Mow Cop, took ownership of Miss Trim’s bungalow in Malcolm Close, Baddeley Green, in 2003.

Throughout the trial, John Gimbert maintained he had not acted dishonestly and was attempting to ‘safeguard’ Miss Trim’s inheritance from being spent by social services.

In fact, the fraud was uncovered when social services staff became suspicious of how Miss Trim’s money was being spent.

Michael Grey, representing John Gimbert, told the court that the bulk of the money taken from Ms Trim had been repaid.

He said: “The defendant did look after Janette. He was taking her out twice a week and took her on holiday.

“He and his wife, their children and grandchildren were the only family Janette had and he contribute to her enjoyment of life.”

Mr Grey added that John Gimbert had served with Staffordshire Police for 30 years and had been injured twice in the line of duty.

The court heard David Gimbert held his father responsible for what had happened, and the relationship between them was now ‘fractured’.

Richard Gibbs, representing him, said: “The outcome of these proceedings has completely devastated David Gimbert.

“His superintendent talks in glowing terms about him being a team player, a good manager of people with a polite, friendly and infectious manner.

“The career he has pursued for so many years is in extreme and immediate peril.”

Recorder Benjamin Nicholls said David Gimbert had been a ‘shining example’ as a police officer and it was a ‘tragedy’ to see him in the dock.

He said: “But you knew the woman you called aunt was vulnerable, and it was clear she would have no conception of the implications of signing over a valuable asset like a house for nothing.

“You are a policeman and you should have had the strength of character to say no to something you knew wasn’t right.”

Recorder Nicholls told John Gimbert he had ‘acted arrogantly’ in relation to Ms Trim’s assets.

He said: “You decided to treat her money as your own, to treat your children and get them on the housing ladder.

“You grossly abused a position of trust.”

Deputy Chief Constable Nick Baker, from Staffordshire Police, said David Gimbert would now face misconduct proceedings.

He said: “Sergeant Gimbert was an effective police officer who had an exemplary work record. But he has failed to adhere to our code of ethics for conduct outside of work.

“He will now be subject to an internal investigation, which may result in misconduct proceedings within the organisation.”