Nephew Abuses Power of Attorney to Steal from Auntie
David Eggleton is a 71-year-old man from Calne in Wiltshire in the United Kingdom. On August 1, 2024, he was sentenced to five years and six months in prison after trial in the Swindon Crown Court. Eggleton was found guilty of fraud and perverting the course of justice earlier in the year after allegations he squandered £600,000 of his aunt’s money, spending it on holidays, cars and Bitcoin.
Eggleton held a power of attorney for his 93-year-old aunt, having been appointed in 2017 after she moved into a care home. When multiple payments bounced back in 2020, she became suspicious and signed a revocation of power document to prevent him from accessing her funds. The Wiltshire Police investigated in September 2020, however, the aunt passed on in February 2021 before she could make a personal statement.
Eggleton initially contended that the funds were a loan agreement, however, during the trial, he admitted the loan agreement was created fraudulently and that he forged his aunt’s signature.[1] The judge, Recorder Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC, told Eggleton that “The total sum taken is quite eye watering. You used the money to live the high life.”[2] The Court heard evidence that between August 2017 and November 2020, Eggleton spent £817,000, paying off his mortgage, buying cars, on £54,000 worth of Apple products, paying for holidays and garden makeovers and towards the purchase of a Bitcoin mining device. In January 2021, he wrote an email to the care home which he asked to be read to his aunt. In the email he promised to pay the £31,853 outstanding care home fees within two weeks and begged her to withdraw her complaint to the police. The care home never read the email to her but instead turned it over to police. A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act took place on January 15. No reported decision has been made available yet.
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[1] Bea Swallow, “Man jailed for stealing £600k from aunt before she died” (August 1, 2024), BBC, accessed online: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8vdz808rljo.
[2] Claire Hayhurst, “Nephew who stole £600k from elderly aunt in power of attorney fraud jailed,” August 1, 2024, The Standard, accessed online: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/wiltshire-swindon-crown-court-calne-wembley-wiltshire-police-b1174273.html.
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Written by: Kimberly A. Whaley
Posted on: May 9, 2025
Categories: Commentary, Elder Abuse
David Eggleton is a 71-year-old man from Calne in Wiltshire in the United Kingdom. On August 1, 2024, he was sentenced to five years and six months in prison after trial in the Swindon Crown Court. Eggleton was found guilty of fraud and perverting the course of justice earlier in the year after allegations he squandered £600,000 of his aunt’s money, spending it on holidays, cars and Bitcoin.
Eggleton held a power of attorney for his 93-year-old aunt, having been appointed in 2017 after she moved into a care home. When multiple payments bounced back in 2020, she became suspicious and signed a revocation of power document to prevent him from accessing her funds. The Wiltshire Police investigated in September 2020, however, the aunt passed on in February 2021 before she could make a personal statement.
Eggleton initially contended that the funds were a loan agreement, however, during the trial, he admitted the loan agreement was created fraudulently and that he forged his aunt’s signature.[1] The judge, Recorder Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC, told Eggleton that “The total sum taken is quite eye watering. You used the money to live the high life.”[2] The Court heard evidence that between August 2017 and November 2020, Eggleton spent £817,000, paying off his mortgage, buying cars, on £54,000 worth of Apple products, paying for holidays and garden makeovers and towards the purchase of a Bitcoin mining device. In January 2021, he wrote an email to the care home which he asked to be read to his aunt. In the email he promised to pay the £31,853 outstanding care home fees within two weeks and begged her to withdraw her complaint to the police. The care home never read the email to her but instead turned it over to police. A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act took place on January 15. No reported decision has been made available yet.
—
[1] Bea Swallow, “Man jailed for stealing £600k from aunt before she died” (August 1, 2024), BBC, accessed online: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8vdz808rljo.
[2] Claire Hayhurst, “Nephew who stole £600k from elderly aunt in power of attorney fraud jailed,” August 1, 2024, The Standard, accessed online: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/wiltshire-swindon-crown-court-calne-wembley-wiltshire-police-b1174273.html.
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