A police officer exploited his elderly neighbour’s trust, systematically stealing more than £30,000 from her bank accounts over three years to fund a spending spree that included takeaways, coffee, grooming products and nearly £25,000 worth of shopping at Tesco.
The financial exploitation
Former Merseyside Police Constable Gary Carson began by doing small favours for the woman, who lived next door, as her health declined. She held him in high regard because of his job as a response officer and was said to have been “smitten” with him. She entrusted Carson with her bank card, initially giving permission for it to be used for “ice creams” and “Christmas and birthday presents for the children”.
Between February 2020 and March 2023, however, Carson made a series of payments the woman had not authorised, spending more than £30,000 in total. He also registered his own email address with her bank accounts so he could transfer funds and carry out online transactions. The misconduct panel heard that the neighbour did not have internet access at her home and lacked the technological means to make online purchases herself.
Carson took control of her savings account, transferring nearly £11,000 to cover his spending and leaving her current account depleted. The bank has since agreed to reimburse £10,000 of the stolen funds.
The purchases
The scale of Carson’s unauthorised expenditure was laid out at his misconduct hearing. The largest single category was nearly £25,000 spent at Tesco. This was accompanied by more than £750 at Starbucks, more than £750 at Amazon, £150 at McDonald’s, nearly £100 at Halfords and more than £90 at Tool Station.
Other payments included Domino’s Pizza, MyProtein, O2, Uber Eats, Manscaped and ManCave – the latter two being companies that sell male grooming products, including a razor. Carson also purchased items described as “treats” such as Starbucks and Greggs.
Carson claimed that he sat with his neighbour while she carried out online orders and that purchases of toys, the razor and treats were gifts from her. He also said the neighbour was “insistent and forthright” about him accepting gifts and would become upset if he refused. However, the misconduct panel noted that when the neighbour was questioned about the transactions, she became defensive, suggesting she knew Carson had “overstepped the use of the card” and did not want him to get into trouble because of her fondness for him.
The neighbour’s daughter visited her mother’s house around Christmas 2023 and found the property “in a state”. She discovered a binder containing unpaid bills and bank statements, which included payments for fuel and Starbucks.
The misconduct hearing and consequences
Carson appeared before a Merseyside Police misconduct hearing last month, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan. The panel found he had breached the standards of professional behaviour to the level of gross misconduct. In their findings they stated that “ordinary decent people would know that it was dishonest to use a bank account to make unauthorised purchases” and that Carson had used the bank account to benefit himself and his family.
The hearing was told that, in addition to the financial abuse, Carson had failed to seek appropriate assistance from council services despite the neighbour’s house being in “squalor”.
Carson was dismissed from the force without notice and added to the College of Policing barred list, meaning he can never work in policing again.
Detective Chief Superintendent Sabi Kaur, head of Merseyside Police’s professional standards department, said: “He exploited the trust of a vulnerable, elderly woman and – while he may have made purchases requested by the neighbour – went on to buy other items beyond what had been agreed. His behaviour was completely unacceptable and risked seriously undermining public confidence in policing. It is absolutely right that he has been dismissed from the force and can no longer serve in policing. I hope that the seriousness with which the force has handled the misconduct investigation into his actions demonstrates very clearly the standards we uphold at Merseyside Police.”
Criminal investigation and Carson’s background
A criminal investigation was launched by Cheshire Police, a separate force. A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: “I can confirm an investigation was undertaken by Cheshire Police following allegations of fraud. A case file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that there should be no charges.” The decision not to prosecute was due to the neighbour’s reluctance to support the case.
The misconduct hearing also examined Carson’s own financial circumstances. He had declared a “default notice” for credit cards, catalogue agreements and mobile phone contracts in his application to join Merseyside Police, items that were in repayment plans. He also declared arrears on a credit card and a county court judgment from 2013. His finances were described as being in a “dire position”. Carson took a salary drop when he joined the police in February 2020, facing increased living costs and an “ever-growing food bill”.
Carson moved into his home in February 2012 and his relationship with his neighbour grew to the point where she became a “grandmother figure” to his family. He said they held joint barbecues, Christmas, Easter and birthday events, and she would treat his children with chocolate and other gifts.
When confronted by reporters at his home in Runcorn, Carson declined to comment. He did not give evidence at the misconduct hearing, leading the panel to draw an “adverse inference”. He had previously claimed the allegations were “completely untrue” and came from the neighbour’s estranged family members who had been absent from her life for more than ten years.
