Nurse banned from practice for taking $1.5 million from 92-year-old man
A nurse has been banned from practicing after swindling $1.5 million from a 92-year-old Melbourne man.
Bachelor Lionel Cox went into Cambridge House care home in Collingwood in July 2015 after his health deteriorated, with plans to stay “until the cold months were over”.
Cox was left in care of nurse Abha Kumar, who heard that he owned a house, had no friends or family, and had not made a will. Within days of meeting Cox, Kumar helped him hand-write a will to make her the sole beneficiary to his $1.5 million estate. She then forced a staff member to witness the signing without telling them she was the beneficiary.
Kumar also travelled with Cox by taxi to his house to collect various items and $4,500 in cash.
After Cox died on August 9, 2015 of natural causes, Kumar went on to sell his Fitzroy home for $1.117 million in November 2016 and other belongings for $39,000.
On Tuesday, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal handed down orders on the three allegations made against Kumar by the Nursing and Midwifery Board.
Kumar was found to be engaging in professional misconduct and forcing staff to aide her. She was banned from being a registered health practitioner and from working or volunteering in any aged care capacity for five years.
Tribunal members Elisabeth Wentworth, Mary Archibald and Pamela Barry described Kumar as a risk to the public.
“The conduct in this case constituted determined, goal-directed actions by Ms Kumar to ensure that Mr Cox – a vulnerable, elderly man in her care – made a will in her favour, and that no-one knew he had done so until after he died,” they wrote.
“Instead of refusing the benefit under the will, she has retained it, thereby profiting from her misconduct.”