Camera in teddy bear catches carer thieving from sick elderly woman

Aug 20 2008

A carer caught on camera stealing from her sick and elderly client has been sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of theft.

The incident has in some ways highlighted the vulnerability of elderly people who rely on paid carers to look after them.

The thief was caught out by a cheap camera which was placed inside the eye of a teddy bear.

The camera was placed there by the 75 year old woman's son and his daughter, who is a forensic science graduate, they took the action following complaints by the elderly woman that money appeared to be missing from her purse at her home in Liverpool.

Robert Sampson and his 21 year old daughter Emma, who has just graduated from the University, fixed the tiny camera in the Liverpool home of his mother Thelma who has end-stage leukaemia.

Care assistant Yvonne Allen, 28, of Halewood, Liverpool, was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of theft.

Mr Sampson says they had to get a carer for his mother who worked for the primary care trust (PCT) and £40 was missing on the following day.

Sampson and his daughter then recorded the serial numbers on three £20 notes in the grandmothers purse and bought a camera from the local DIY store.

The camera lens resembled the eye of a teddy bear in the house so the camera was concealed there.

Because the thief was greedy, the process was quick and she was soon caught on camera stealing from the purse.

The police were called, shown the footage and given the serial number on the stolen money and Allen was quickly apprehended and has since has agreed to pay £60 compensation to Mrs Sampson.

Mr Sampson says his mother has seen justice served before she dies and was glad to hear of the sentence and now has a new carer.

Liverpool PCT Provider Services has confirmed that a former health care assistant, employed by the Provider arm of Liverpool Primary Care Trust has been arrested and convicted of stealing from a patient.

The PCT says it had fully supported the police investigation and the member of staff involved was immediately suspended following her arrest and is no longer employed by Liverpool PCT.