NHS worker stole £62,000 from vulnerable patient to feed gambling habit

An NHS employee who stole more than £60,000 from a vulnerable pensioner to feed his online gambling habit has been jailed for 16 months.

Kieron James Hobbins, 31, made hundreds of withdrawals from the 84-year-old patient’s bank account while helping to look after him at the Ellen’s Glen House hospital in Edinburgh.

Hobbins then spent more than £40,000 on several gambling sites including online casinos, £15,000 on Amazon Prime and Digital services and over £5,000 with Apple and Three Mobile.

The NHS hospital activities coordinator was caught when the victim’s account was left empty, and his bank card stopped being accepted, prompting an internal probe at the hospital.

Police were called, and an investigation found CCTV evidence of Hobbins using the man’s bank card at a cash machine at a local shop.

Ellen’s Glen House is a community hospital located in the south of Edinburgh and specialises in providing long-term mental health and palliative care for up to 60 people.

Hobbins pled guilty to embezzling £62,424 from the hospital patient between June 2022 and June 2024 when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and returned to the dock for sentencing on Monday.

Prosecutor Connor Muir told the court Ellen’s Glen House cares for patients living with conditions including schizophrenia and the victim had been living there since 2010.

Mr Muir said Hobbins was working as an activities coordinator and had limited access to the pensioner’s bank account.

The court was told that any transactions carried out by an NHS employee required documentation and receipts to be logged with management.

An internal investigation was carried out after the patient’s bank card was declined when used by a staff member in June 2024.

Mr Muir said: “Following a review of the bank statements, [the staff member] noted there were significant amounts of transactions spent on gambling sites, Apple Store and Amazon.

“[The patient] confirmed he had not given anyone access to his bank details and he was unaware who could take money out his bank account.”

The fiscal depute said police were called in to investigate and officers had subsequently reviewed CCTV footage from a local grocery store.

The fiscal depute said: “The CCTV review showed the accused at the ATM outside the shop using [the patient’s] bank card.”

The police investigation showed Hobbins had stolen a total of £62,424 belonging to the elderly patient.

He spent £35,870.89 on online casinos, £5,233.33 on betting sites and £15,384.64 on Amazon Prime, Amazon Digital and Amazon Marketplace.

Hobbins also used the cash to buy £2,096.40 of Apple goods and a further £3,518 with phone company Three Mobile.

Solicitor Philip Templeton, defending, said his client, of Niddrie, Edinburgh, was “under no illusion” to the seriousness of the offence but asked for him to placed on a strict community disposal.

Sheriff Charles Walls said: “Your victim was a highly vulnerable adult, a man in his 80s who suffered from schizophrenia and also diagnosed as bipolar.

“In your role you had limited access to his bank details and any cash withdrawals had to be corroborated by another member of staff.

“In June 2024 his debit card was declined when another staff member used a cash machine and it became evident there were no funds in his account.”

The sheriff acknowledged Hobbins had shown remorse for his conduct and sentenced him to 16 months in custody.

Sheriff Walls also forwarded Hobbins name to Scottish Ministers for consideration of him being banned from working with vulnerable adults in the future.