A PONTYPOOL widow who was allegedly defrauded by her carers is a "very generous lady" who had willed money to various people who worked for her, a court heard.

Marion Edna Holland had also made her taxi driver, her gardener, and local undertaker and friend Anne Hook, beneficiaries in her will, defence lawyer Ieuan Bennett told the trial of Jacqueline and Stephen Courtney.

The husband, 52, and wife, 49, of The Woodlands, Penygarn, deny dishonestly abusing their position as carers between January 2009 and March 2010 by transferring £54,568.01 to themselves.

They also deny abusing their position by persuading Mrs Holland, 89, to change her will in favour of Jacqueline Courtney.

Summing up a 10-day trial at Newport Crown Court, Mr Bennett said allegations that 2007 amendments to Mrs Holland’s will leaving Jacqueline Courtney her house had since been excluded from the allegations against the couple.

"It’s a substantial shifting of the ground of the prosecution case," he added.

Jurors also heard doctors suspected Mrs Holland had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in her hands and that this is why Jacqueline Courtney had signed cheques on her employer’s behalf.

The mum-of-four started cleaning for Mrs Holland in 2003 but their relationship later grew to that of "mother and daughter", Jacqueline Courtney said.

Mrs Holland, who was not well enough to testify and now lives in a nursing home, told police in March 2010 she thought a lot of Jacqueline, but less of her husband.

Defending Stephen Courtney, Matthew Roberts said despite her age Mrs Holland, who has no children and little family, was totally "with it", however, and that officers put the idea she was a 'victim' to her from the start.

But because of her demise since then – she now has dementia – the defence were ‘fighting with two hands behind their backs’, he said.

Social workers were contacted iabout Mrs Holland in December 2009. By then the Courtneys were acting as carers after Stephen Courtney, a former steel worker, was made redundant.

He did odd jobs and took care of her finances, while Jacqueline Courtney was her main carer, in exchange for a cash gift of £45,000, Stephen Courtney said.

Jurors previously heard Jacqueline Courtney also withdrew £250 a week using Mrs Holland’s debit card to pay her own wages and do the widow’s shopping.

The jury retired to consider its verdict on Friday, but was later sent home for the weekend. Deliberations are due to resume on Monday.

Proceeding.