A PERSONAL finance advisor from Callands preyed on a 'vulnerable woman' to steal almost £12,000 from her bank account.

Michelle Sharkey, of St Asaph Drive, was working for a Lloyds branch in Huyton when she transferred 14 separate transactions from the victim's account.

The court heard how the 53-year-old stole a total of £11,675 despite knowing her client was struggling with an addiction to drink.

Anna Duke, defending, told the court how Sharkey had been struggling financially and she 'was not thinking properly' as she was suffering with depression at the time.

The money was used on day-to-day living to keep a roof over her family's head as she was the 'sole breadwinner', the court heard. 

Miss Duke said: "She attended the police station and made complete submissions.

"There is genuine remorse in relation to what she has done and the predicament she has found herself in."

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Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, outlined how Sharkey had since repaid the amount she had stolen, taking it from her own pension funds.

The 53-year-old, who had no previous convictions, carried out the fraud over a 12-month period between February 2017 and January 2018.

She was jailed for 12 months at Liverpool Crown Court on January 16 after pleaded guilty to the crimes, which left the victim's bank overdrawn.

Judge Neil Flewitt said Sharkey's crimes involved 'some thought and planning'.

He added: "It is undisputed this was an abuse of a position of power and it was a significant position of responsibility you held.

"You have broken the trust of the bank. You chose the account of someone you knew to be vulnerable.

"People need to have confidence in those who manage their financial affairs."