'My dad had his £37k life savings wiped out by his own granddaughter - the betrayal has been incomprehensible'

The family of a dementia-suffering former referee who had his life savings wiped out by his own granddaughter to fund a lavish lifestyle of drugs, holidays and takeaways say the ‘betrayal has been incomprehensible’.

Nicole Taylor, 25, admitted stealing the life savings of 80-year-old Norman Glover at Preston Crown Court last month. She had become power of attorney and was granted permission to access his bank account following his dementia diagnosis, but only for the purpose of maintaining his house.

Taylor, of Kershaw Street, Chorley, spent a total of £37,363.63 in the space of a year on mostly takeaways, tattoos and cash withdrawals. The cash was believed to have been spent on drugs, with her later admitting she had a drug problem.

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Norman’s daughter Caroline, who has supported him throughout, has spoken for the first time of the family’s ordeal and said her father is now relying on charity following the betrayal.

“This has been a horrendous time for our family,” Caroline, 54, from Oxfordshire, said. “My dad worked so hard all his life and was left relying on charity, unable to pay his own care home fees.

“Dad helped to raise Nicole. He supported her completely. I will never understand how a member of his own family, who he treated so well, could behave with such utter contempt and cruelty towards him.”

Former top level football referee Norman was the first official ever to send off Paul Gascoigne and also refereed the match at the Bradford City stadium fire in May 1985.

Norman divorced his first wife, Caroline’s mother, in 1984 and married his second wife, Judith Glover, soon after. Caroline and Andrew Glover, Norman’s children