A HEARTLESS care home manager who swindled a vulnerable resident who had considered her a friend has been jailed.

Tracy Kolade, 53, of Hafodarthen Road, Llanhilleth, Abertillery, “exploited” Diane Harris over an eight-month period to take more than £2,000 from her bank account.

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The defendant fleeced her victim while she worked as a boss at the Ty Heulog home, Talbot Green, near Pontyclun.

Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said: “This was a vulnerable lady who thought the defendant was a friend of hers as well as the manager of the care home.”

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Kolade was entrusted with Miss Harris’ bank card and withdrew money from her account on 12 separate occasions.

Newport Crown Court heard the defendant had tried to cover her tracks by claiming a former care home worker was responsible but refused to name them.

Kolade pleaded guilty to committing fraud between March and November 2018.

Jeffrey Jones, mitigating, said his client had been experiencing financial worries at the time and was being chased for money.

He told the court: “This was a mean crime. The defendant was stressed and overworked at the time.

“She was being pressured by a bank over a debt built up by her ex-husband that was in her name.

“She has resigned from her job but realises she would have been sacked. She has now found work in retail.”

Mr Jones said the defendant had paid back £440 to her victim and wanted to pay back the remaining balance of £1,720.

He added: “She has no previous convictions and has not been before the court before.

“There is a sense of shame and embarrassment.”

Judge Richard Twomlow told Kolade: “You have shown little evidence of real remorse.

“This was a very deliberate and callous breach of trust against a 61-year-old victim.

“She had thought of you as a friend.”

The judge added: “You withdrew large amount of money and bank statements went missing.

“You tried to deflect what you did until your guilty plea.

“You claimed that someone else from Ty Heulog was responsible but refused to give their name.

“This was a vulnerable woman and this must have been one of the reasons you chose to target her. She was exploited.”

Kolade was jailed for 10 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge upon her release from prison.