MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM — A Moose Jaw senior thought Bonnie Jean Binner would be a good caregiver and provide helpful daily support, but she abused that trust and stole nearly $8,000 from him.
Binner provided home care for the man by running various errands — like grabbing groceries and medications —between May 1, 2018, and Sept. 7, 2018, giving her the opportunity to use his debit and credit cards because he gave her the PINs, Crown prosecutor Rob Parker said while reading the facts in Moose Jaw Provincial Court recently.
However, between June and August 2018, she used his credit card to buy items for herself and racked up $7,889.17.
Binner wrote the man an email in September 2018 saying she used his card for personal purchases, was sorry and would repay him, Parker said. Police arrested her in December 2020, and she admitted she had stolen the senior’s money; however, she had not repaid him.
The aggravating issue is Binner was in a position of trust because she was acting as a caregiver for a senior, the Crown added. However, the mitigating factors included the guilty pleas, admission of responsibility and co-operation with the police.
While in court, Binner, 58, pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 and failing to attend court. As part of a joint submission, she received a six-month conditional sentence, similar to house arrest, since she will serve her jail time in the community.
Some conditions include keeping the peace and being of good behaviour, maintaining a curfew of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., providing breath and urine samples, refraining from possessing alcohol, drugs or marijuana or being in a place that sells such items, and taking programming.
The woman must also repay everything she stole.
Binner suffered two strokes since these incidents occurred, so she could not work and could not repay the man, Legal Aid lawyer Suzanne Lalonde said. However, she wants to return to work even though her doctor has not yet cleared her; she hopes that is soon.
Meanwhile, her son lives in Moose Jaw, so he regularly picks her up in the morning so she can watch the grandchildren while the parents work, the defence lawyer continued. She wants to continue doing that, which is why the Crown and defence adjusted the curfew times.
“Bonnie is deeply remorseful. The thefts occurred during a time in her life when she was struggling emotionally and financially,” Lalonde said.
The defence lawyer then read an email Binner sent to explain her crimes. In it, the woman said she knew she had to change her life dramatically after she committed the offences. So, she acquired a labour-focused job with a business on South Hill since it was near her home and she could “shape a different lifestyle.”
However, Binner experienced two strokes in 2020 and has been on disability ever since. Her health began to stabilize in 2022, so she expressed the desire to start with part-time employment and work her way to full-time activities.
“I know I should have handled my legal matters differently. I regret that very much, but I have tried to make meaningful lifestyle changes,” Binner wrote, including taking physical therapy and psychological counselling.
However, recovering from the strokes was difficult because of the isolation from the pandemic restrictions and losing her job, she continued. Yet, she now engages in craftwork at home at a suitable pace and sells her creations online.
Binner added that she has a small circle of family and friends she sees often, while she plans to continue babysitting her grandchildren.
Afterward, Judge Patrick Koskie accepted the joint submission and agreed to waive the victim fine surcharge.
