A carer who stole from the purse of an 82 year-old dementia sufferer has narrowly avoided a custodial sentence.
Rebecca Harrison, 44, of Blunt Street, Stanley Common, Ilkston, was found guilty of theft after her recent trial at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court.
She was caught after the victim's daughter noticed money going missing and installed CCTV cameras in an effort to catch the culprit.
Marianne Connally, prosecuting, said: "The complainant in this case is an elderly lady and relies on carers entering her home four-times-a-day, seven-days-a-week for her personal hygiene and for meals.
"The complaint was initially made by the complainant's daughter, as money was going missing from her mother's purse that couldn't be explained.
"There is a huge element of breach of trust.
"Given the witness defence costs there is an application for £620."
District Judge Andrew Meachin heard that Harrison had been involved in a serious car accident after the commission of the offence and had resigned from her role as a carer.
Peter Jones, mitigating for Harrison, said: "The defendant has had higher education. She started her employment at the firm in June 2017 and had reached supervisor level.
"It is a great shock to her employers.
"The defendant was unfortunately subject to quite a severe car accident.
"The defendant has impairments. Her mother has been helping her, but she has issues herself.
"She resigned from her position, but her employment has been terminated. She is on universal credit."
In sentencing, Judge Meachin said: "This is a serious offence, so serious that custody has to be considered.
"You were convicted after trial so you have no credit whatsoever.
"You are going to get a community order, I can't get around that."
The judge imposed a 12 month community order with a 20 day rehabilitation activity requirement.
He also ordered Harrison to pay £20 compensation to the victim, prosecution costs of £620 and the victim surcharge of £85.
The Derby Telegraph also reports that Judge Meachin imposed a fine of £569, which would be very unusual given the nature of the offence, the fact a community order had been imposed and Harrison's limited financial means. Perhaps the newspaper is slightly wrong on the details of that.
Theft is a very serious matter at the best of times, but targeting the vulnerable victim in her own home and abusing her trust makes Harrison's crime particularly loathsome.
Reading between the lines it would appear that the CPS brought a single charge in relation to the theft caught on the CCTV. It's a reasonable bet that Harrison had been dipping her hand into the victim's purse prior to that, but the CPS obviously didn't think it had sufficient evidence to lay additional charges.
Had Harrison been found guilty of multiple offences she'd probably be limping around a prison landing by now.
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