text: Hilary Border, 54, stole £20,000 from her dementia-stricken mother, pictured outside Nottingham Crown Court . A 'wicked' daughter who stole £20,000 from her dementia-stricken mother and spent it on herself instead of paying care home fees has been spared jail. Hilary Border, 54, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, had power of attorney over her 83-year-old mother Dorothy's affairs when her health deteriorated. The mother-of-three was required to pay £300-a-week for the 83-year-old's care but when it doubled to £600 the money was either late or stopped being paid at all. Care home staff tried to contact Border over an outstanding £16,000 debt over two years before reporting her to police. She pleaded  guilty to fraud on the basis she took £20,000 between October 2012, and November 20 last year, despite the fact that prosecution said it was £39,500. Border was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday. Judge Andrew Hamilton said: 'You stole money from your mum. You were trusted to be her power of attorney to deal with her money. 'It was wicked to steal from someone who was in a care home. 'The owners of the care home seem to have taken pity on your mum. Others might not have been so charitable. 'She has dementia and doesn't appreciate the wickedness of her daughter, how you have betrayed her trust and stolen her money.' Border was also made subject of an eight-month home curfew and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. The court heard Border's mother suffered from angina, sclerosis of the liver and seriously low blood pressure. Defence attorney Ian Way said Border had taken a small amount of money to ease financial pressures in her own life and the fraud had then escalated. He added: 'She is 54, of good character. 'She is thoroughly ashamed for what she has done and full of self-loathing..' Border was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court (pictured) yesterday .
target: Hilary Border, 54, pleaded guilty to fraud and has been spared jail .
  She stole £20,000 from dementia-stricken mother and spent it on herself .
  Mother-of-three refused to pay £16,000 in care home bills for Dorothy, 83 .
  She has been spared jail and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work .