LONDON, ONT. -- He pretended to be her friend, but instead Mark Burrows, 52, took advantage of an 86-year-old single woman who was suffering from early-onset dementia.
Burrows, who also goes by the name Mark Spiers, pleaded guilty after defrauding the senior of more than $136,000.
The court heard that Burrows was a neighbor of Maxine Johnstone and over a nine-month period in 2017 he got control of her bank accounts, credit cards and became her power of attorney.
“He charged trips to Canada’s Wonderland, hotels in Toronto and bought $2,000 worth of fireworks,” says Janice Harrington, Johnstone’s niece. “She worked hard all her life to save and watched how she spent her money.”
Burrows was sentenced to two years plus a day - meaning he must serve his term in prison.
Johnstone has since moved to a nursing home.
“My aunt has had a hard time forgiving herself," Harrington says.
