Con women lovers duped vulnerable pensioner out of £750,000 and spent the money on flash cars and designer handbags Health care assistant Celia Brinkley, 45, and her partner nurse Kerry Davies, 40, were employed by Anthony Hornett as his carers But the pair began fleecing money from the vulnerable 80-year-old Brinkley stole more than £160,000 by forging cheques from Mr Hornett The pair also purchased luxury cars and designer handbags with his money Investigators estimate the pair cost Mr Hornett a total of £733,563.46 A health care assistant and her lesbian partner have been jailed for fleecing three quarters of a million pounds from a wealthy elderly recluse. Celia Brinkley, 45, was sentenced to seven years in prison after stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds from 80-year-old Anthony Hornett while she was his home carer. Her partner Kerry Davies, 40, a qualified nurse, was also sentenced to 27 months in prison after admitting taking more than £80,000 of that sum from Anthony Hornett. St Albans Crown Court heard how the pair blew the pensioner's money on new cars, expensive trips and designer handbags and told colleagues at St Albans City Hospital that they'd won £250,000 on the lottery when questioned the pair on their luxury lifestyle. Judge Andrew Bright QC told the pair it was difficult to imagine a greater or deeper breach of trust inflicted on an elderly, vulnerable man. Behind bars: Health Care Assistant Celia Brinkley, 40, pictured left, and her lesbian partner, qualified nurse Kerry Davies, 40, pictured right, have both been jailed for fleecing vulnerable 80-year-old Anthony Hornett out of hundreds of thousands of pounds while they were his carers Prosecutor Laura Blackband said the couple first met Mr Hornett in 2009 when he was in his late 70s. Mr Hornett was very vulnerable and lonely. He had lived alone for many years. He had never married and had no children. He was not visited by relatives and was a recluse in reality,' she said. The court heard how the pair left their full-time jobs after Mr Hornett agreed to pay them £2,000 each a month to be his carers in August 2010. Brinkley would visit him twice a day and Davies just once a week. He owned three properties in St Albans and agreed to rent them one in Central Drive, which had been neglected, at a reduced price. Ms Blackband said: 'They agreed they would clean it. He would provide the white goods and would pay the council tax. The rent was £500 per month. The market rental would be £1,000. They had a very good deal. They took over the property in June 2009 and moved in that September after cleaning it. But over the next few months, the court was told how they began fleecing money from Mr Hornett. Brinkley had access to his cheque book and forged eight cheques. She also used his Barclaycard. By June the following year, Brinkley had received £127,000 in cheques and Davies £40,000. The court heard £30,000 was spent on a VW Toureg for Brinkley and she also obtained a Mercedes convertible for £43,000 as well as a scooter. One text message Brinkley sent to Davies read: 'Sorry babe he will only give you £5,000 for your birthday.' Davies replied: 'I think that will do babe.' In fact Mr Hornett wrote a cheque for £7,000. The court heard the couple also believed they'd managed to dupe Mr Hornett into changing his Will so they would inherit the house they were renting. Ms Blackband Mr Hornett had been plied with drink and was persuaded by Brinkley to write a letter to his solicitor changing his Will to leave them the house in Central Drive. In court: Sentencing at St Albans Crown Court, Judge Andrew Bright QC told the pair it was difficult to imagine a greater or deeper breach of trust inflicted on an elderly, vulnerable man The elderly man's solicitor contacted him because she was suspicious about the proposed change to his Will. It was not changed but Mr Hornett allowed the two women to continue to think they were his beneficiaries. As a result they planned £200,000 worth of extensions to the house in Central Drive. This was paid for by £300,000 they had amassed from their victim in a joint account. But the pair were caught when a policeman visiting Mr Hornett became suspicious about the building work. He also saw the two expensive cars. As a result the police obtained a Production Order from the court to look into the couple's financial affairs and they were arrested. Inquiries were carried out and the total loss for Mr Hornett was put at £733,563.46. 'It was a staggering figure,' said Ms Blackband. In an interview with the police, Mr Hornett said he had become frightened of Brinkley, who the prosecutor said was 'the prime mover' in the fraud. On one occasion he said she became aggressive when he questioned the cost of a £10,000 boiler that she said needed installing in her home. He said it had been easier to give in to them. Brinkley, from Dellfield, St Albans, admitted two charges of fraud, nine of forgery and one of converting criminal property. Davies, also from Dellfied, St Albans, admitted one charge of converting criminal property. Terence Woods, defending Brinkley, said she had been in a relationship with Davies and they had been looking to move out of hospital accommodation. He said Brinkley and Davies were the only two people in the world who had cared for Mr Hornett who was an eccentric individual. Gideon Cammerman, representing Davies, said she had studied for a nursing degree at Sheffield University and had been an excellent nurse. 'She knows the Nursing and Midwifery Council will ensure she never works as a nurse again,' he told the court before adding that the relationship between the couple had come to an end. Judge Bright said: 'It is difficult to imagine a greater or deeper breach of trust inflicted on an elderly, vulnerable man. They were nursing staff in St Albans hospital - a job they gave up to live off the proceeds of crime. He told Brinkley: 'You targeted him relentlessly, mercilessly and in a truly wicked way in a gross breach of trust over a considerable period.' He said she had 'milked him for every penny' she could. In sentencing Davies he said she had allowed Brinkley to do her 'dirty work' for her. A confiscation hearing will take place in January next year.