Sheffield guest house worker 'stole from vulnerable adults'

An employee at a guest house providing supported living for vulnerable adults stole more than £800,000 from residents, a court heard.

Dianna Turner, 53, is said to have defrauded residents at the Glastonbury Guest House in Sheffield over a nine-year period from 2007 to 2016.

Prosecutors told Sheffield Crown Court Mrs Turner, of Ecclesfield, enlisted her brothers, Khalid, 59, and Waleed Rahman, 58, to launder the money.

All three deny any wrongdoing.

Prosecutor Tom Storey told jurors Mrs Turner spent some of the money on a white Range Rover Evoque with the registration DI4NA T and an Audi A3 for her son.

He said: "Over a number of years she systematically abused her position to steal what the prosecution say was a significant amount of money from some of the residents, about £800,000."

He told the court she persuaded residents to set up standing orders to accounts linked to her and her brothers and would make them withdraw large sums of cash which were then paid to her as "rent".

He said this happened despite the fact the majority of residents' fees were paid directly by Sheffield City Council to the owner of the guest house, David Andrews.

The barrister said that one resident was paying a monthly standing order of £943 to an account in the name of Mrs Turner's mother.

When a forensic accountant inspected the accounts he found transfers from the residents accounts to accounts held by Mrs Turner and her brothers totalling £363,446.

A further £453,404 had been paid in to their accounts in cash.

Mr Storey said: "We say that Dianna Turner took advantage of her position to manipulate these vulnerable individuals and persuade them to set up these standing orders in order to defraud them."

Mrs Turner denies a single count of fraud.

Khalid Rahman, of Wincobank Lane, Sheffield, and Waleed Rahman, of Dubai, each deny a charge of money laundering.

The trial continues.