Man who defrauded elderly care home resident in Bristol is jailed

A man who defrauded an elderly care home resident in Brislington, Bristol of tens of thousands of pounds has been jailed for more than two years.

Nikola Penevski, 35, of Walsh Avenue, Hengrove, admitted to abusing his position as the deputy manager of Rosedale House Care Home to withdraw more than £40,000 from the bank account of the vulnerable victim.

Bristol Crown Court heard how Penevski, using the victims bank card, made dozens of withdrawals between January 2022 and December of the same year until this activity was flagged by the bank.

The resulting police investigation led to him being arrested by Met Police officers at Heathrow Airport in January 2023 after he returned to the country from a trip overseas.

The victim died in March last year.

Penevski pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position in June and was sentenced to 27 months in prison when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday 24 July.

The investigating officer, DC Daniel Britton, said: “Penevski was uniquely placed, given his position within the care home, to fraudulently obtain tens of thousands of pounds of the victim’s money.

“The victim had come to the home because he needed additional care, was particularly vulnerable and had no support network available to him. Penevski gained his trust and then exploited that vulnerability.

“Sadly, the victim passed away before Penevski had acknowledged his culpability in this crime.

“I wish to place on record my sincere gratitude to the staff and particularly the management, at Rosedale House who have been extremely supportive throughout this investigation.

“Penevski’s actions will have resulted in a particularly stressful time for them all – and for the other residents.

“Despite this, they have been open and cooperative since day one and this has strengthened the investigation immeasurably.”