A former social services care worker has admitted stealing £3,970 from a 92-year-old man he had looked after.

Konrad Kumor, of Mona Drive, Douglas, befriended the man and continued to visit him after he had stopped being his official carer.

He then used the pensioner’s cash card to pay for his own gas bills and phone bills.

In court, the 39-year-old pleaded guilty to theft and will be sentenced on June 20 after a probation report has been prepared.

He was warned he could be jailed.

Prosecutor Roger Kane told magistrates that Kumor was initially assigned as the 92-year-old’s care worker by social services in May 2016.

The pensioner was said to have mobility, sight and hearing problems. After six weeks, the programme of care involving Kumor ended, but he continued to visit the pensioner.

The pensioner then noticed that £2,050 had been withdrawn from his account without his permission.

He was said to have confronted Kumor who admitted taking the money but the pensioner forgave him and the pair continued to be friends without the matter being reported. In January 2017, the pensioner agreed to lend Kumor £1,500 to buy a car.

Kumor was suspended from work in March 2017 after his bosses had concerns that the man had been taken advantage of.

The following day Kumor resigned his position at social services after a neighbour found a handwritten loan agreement.

However, Kumor still continued to visit the 92-year-old, despite the concerns of social services, after the pensioner said that he wanted to carry on their friendship and that he did not feel vulnerable. The man admitted that money was going missing but he refused to acknowledge that Kumor would have taken it.

Investigations revealed that Kumor had used the man’s bank card to pay gas bills totalling £264.34 and phone bills of £430.

He had also made a payment to a blinds company of £317 and of £903 to Paypal, the internet payment company.

Other smaller items had also been bought.

When interviewed by police Kumor admitted using the man’s card. He apologised and offered to pay back the money.

The court heard that the pensioner had been reimbursed for his loss by his bank.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode entered a basis of plea for his client accepting that he had stolen £3,970.77 between July 2016 and March 2018 but not while he was his official carer.

Kumor said that he had got into debt through an addiction to gambling but had only used the stolen cash for essentials.

Prosecutor Mr Kane said that the case was a very large breach of trust involving a vulnerable man and was on the cusp of committal to the higher court.

However, given the guilty plea and admissions in interview, Mr Kane said that the 12 months’ custody maximum summary court sentencing powers were just about sufficient.

Magistrates’ chair Ken Faragher ordered that the probation report consider all options, including custody.

Bail was granted with conditions that Kumor live at his home address and contact probation.