A disabled man was targeted by his carer who robbed him of thousands of pounds before spending the lot on a shopping spree.

Simon Rouse [ pictured above ] stole £12,000 out of the vulnerable man's account before buying vast quantities of items from John Lewis and Amazon.

Rouse, 50, had been looking after his victim, who lives with complex needs, for years tasked with helping with daily chores and taking them out on trips.

The thief, of Frederick Drive in Peterborough, had access to the man’s bank account so he could make withdrawals on his behalf to cover essentials such as food and new clothes.

Suspicions were raised in July 2021 when a colleague discovered some erratic activity from the victim’s account which did not add up to recorded expenditure from his bank.

The form showed there had been expensive items purchased from John Lewis and Amazon which were not traced back to the victim.

Police seized designer goods, bank and loan statements when they arrested Rouse at his home in August 2021 where they also discovered he was in serious debt.

Det Con Helen Williams, who investigated the crime, said: “This was a blatant abuse of trust and position. Rouse took advantage of a vulnerable man who he knew wasn’t able to keep a track of his money.

“Being in debt is no excuse for what he did and he knew he was doing wrong. I am glad justice has been done and hope this brings some comfort and reassurance to the victim.”

[ Simon Rouse is now serving a jail sentence ]