By . Andy Dolan for the Daily Mail . A couple who have been married for more than 60 years are being forced to live apart after a ‘wicked’ carer plundered their life savings. Grandparents Rodney and Lily Crowder were left unable to pay care home fees to allow them to stay together – and will now have to live 17 miles away from each other. The couple had trusted Caroline Davis so much they gave her their bank cards and pin numbers so she could withdraw cash to do their shopping. 'Wicked' carer Caroline Davis arriving at Lincoln Crown Court, Lincoln. She was jailed  for six months over a devastating breach of trust . But the Crowders, who married in 1951 and are now in their eighties, were left distraught after discovering Davis, who also cleaned and paid bills for them, had raided the accounts of more than £20,000 – withdrawing between £40 and £250 a time. The hairdresser had also taken at least two chequebooks belonging to the couple, crudely forging their signatures to pay herself up to £750 with each transaction. A court heard Mrs Crowder was left ‘incredulous’ by Davis’s betrayal and when told about the fraud replied ‘but she’s my friend’. Davis, 38, was jailed for six months over the breach of trust. Recorder Gareth Evans QC told her: ‘What you did was wicked. The effect on the Crowders has been immense. In their last years together they have been separated. ‘There are too many people ripping off old people in this country. People must start to realise that if they come before the court the almost inevitable sentence for this sort of offence is immediate custody.’ Lincoln Crown Court heard the fraud was only uncovered after Mr Crowder, 84, a retired telecoms worker, was admitted to a care home with dementia in June 2012. Mrs Crowder, an 81-year-old former midwife, moved to the home in Boston, Lincolnshire, in order to remain close to him. Although they should have had the money in the bank to pay the fees, by September she was forced to return to the couple’s home in Spalding, 17 miles away, because the cost was draining what money they had left. Lily and Rodney Crowder at their 60th wedding anniversary party. The pensioners have been left devastated after a carer emptied their bank accounts of more than £20,000 . While Mr Crowder was assessed as being in need of care because of his dementia – and therefore eligible for help with the costs – Mrs Crowder was not. It meant that the £900-a-week fees for Mr Crowder have been partially covered by the NHS, but the couple were liable for the £600-a-week fees for his wife. The court heard Davis – who had met Mrs Crowder when she became her hairdresser – continued her caring duties but the Crowders’ son, Rod, 56, had become suspicious and cancelled the bank cards and contacted police. While the cash withdrawals from ATMs stopped, Davis still had the chequebooks and began forging their signatures. Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said Davis had left the family feeling ‘betrayed’. When arrested she claimed she initially took £40 a time while under financial pressure, intending to pay it back. Bank records showed £5,530 was taken from Mrs Crowder’s bank account and £6,530 from Mr Crowder’s account. She also fraudulently obtained £11,750 using the couple’s chequebook. Davis, a married mother, from Surfleet, Lincolnshire, admitted fraud between November 2011 and July last year, on the basis that only £20,000 of the cash was for her own gain. She was jailed on Friday and was also ordered to repay the £20,000. The Crowders have three children, Rod, Chloe, 52, and Simon, 48. Rod said Davis had been trusted ‘almost as family’. He added: ‘Mum and Dad are heartbroken. They should be together. This is the first time they’ve really been apart since they’ve been married. ‘When the compensation comes through we will make sure they are together in the same care home but the house will have to be sold.’
Caroline Davis raided bank accounts of Rodney, 84, and Lily Crowder, 81 .
They trusted her so much they gave her their cards and pin numbers .
The hairdresser also took at least two of the couple's chequebooks .
Now Mr and Mrs Crowder cannot afford to live in the same care home .
Davis, 38, from Lincs, was jailed  for six months over the breach of trust .
By . Andy Dolan for the Daily Mail . A couple who have been married for more than 60 years are being forced to live apart after a ‘wicked’ carer plundered their life savings. Grandparents Rodney and Lily Crowder were left unable to pay care home fees to allow them to stay together – and will now have to live 17 miles away from each other. The couple had trusted Caroline Davis so much they gave her their bank cards and pin numbers so she could withdraw cash to do their shopping. 'Wicked' carer Caroline Davis arriving at Lincoln Crown Court, Lincoln. She was jailed for six months over a devastating breach of trust . But the Crowders, who married in 1951 and are now in their eighties, were left distraught after discovering Davis, who also cleaned and paid bills for them, had raided the accounts of more than £20,000 – withdrawing between £40 and £250 a time. The hairdresser had also taken at least two chequebooks belonging to the couple, crudely forging their signatures to pay herself up to £750 with each transaction. A court heard Mrs Crowder was left ‘incredulous’ by Davis’s betrayal and when told about the fraud replied ‘but she’s my friend’. Davis, 38, was jailed for six months over the breach of trust. Recorder Gareth Evans QC told her: ‘What you did was wicked. The effect on the Crowders has been immense. In their last years together they have been separated. ‘There are too many people ripping off old people in this country. People must start to realise that if they come before the court the almost inevitable sentence for this sort of offence is immediate custody.’ Lincoln Crown Court heard the fraud was only uncovered after Mr Crowder, 84, a retired telecoms worker, was admitted to a care home with dementia in June 2012. Mrs Crowder, an 81-year-old former midwife, moved to the home in Boston, Lincolnshire, in order to remain close to him. Although they should have had the money in the bank to pay the fees, by September she was forced to return to the couple’s home in Spalding, 17 miles away, because the cost was draining what money they had left. Lily and Rodney Crowder at their 60th wedding anniversary party. The pensioners have been left devastated after a carer emptied their bank accounts of more than £20,000 . While Mr Crowder was assessed as being in need of care because of his dementia – and therefore eligible for help with the costs – Mrs Crowder was not. It meant that the £900-a-week fees for Mr Crowder have been partially covered by the NHS, but the couple were liable for the £600-a-week fees for his wife. The court heard Davis – who had met Mrs Crowder when she became her hairdresser – continued her caring duties but the Crowders’ son, Rod, 56, had become suspicious and cancelled the bank cards and contacted police. While the cash withdrawals from ATMs stopped, Davis still had the chequebooks and began forging their signatures. Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said Davis had left the family feeling ‘betrayed’. When arrested she claimed she initially took £40 a time while under financial pressure, intending to pay it back. Bank records showed £5,530 was taken from Mrs Crowder’s bank account and £6,530 from Mr Crowder’s account. She also fraudulently obtained £11,750 using the couple’s chequebook. Davis, a married mother, from Surfleet, Lincolnshire, admitted fraud between November 2011 and July last year, on the basis that only £20,000 of the cash was for her own gain. She was jailed on Friday and was also ordered to repay the £20,000. The Crowders have three children, Rod, Chloe, 52, and Simon, 48. Rod said Davis had been trusted ‘almost as family’. He added: ‘Mum and Dad are heartbroken. They should be together. This is the first time they’ve really been apart since they’ve been married. ‘When the compensation comes through we will make sure they are together in the same care home but the house will have to be sold.’
and Lily Crowder were left unable to pay care other. The couple had trusted Caroline Davis so much they gave her their bank cards and pin time. The hairdresser had also taken at least two ‘but she’s my friend’. Davis, 38, was jailed for six months over the breach of trust. Recorder bank accounts of more than £20,000 . While Mr will make sure they are together in the same care