A heartless carer was caught stealing thousands of pounds from a vulnerable 84-year-old widow after her daughter set up a secret video camera to trap her.
The covert video captured the shocking moment Donna White, 48, brazenly stole cash from the purse of frail OAP Diana Bramall in the kitchen of her own home.
A court heard how Mrs White’s relatives became suspicious that White – whom they regarded as a member of their own family and had treated to holidays – was stealing from the old lady.
White stole cash a staggering 64 times in just four months – once carrying out three thefts in a single day and even stealing on Christmas Day.
Prosecutors at Sheffield Crown Court, South Yorks, saidit was not possible to determine how much White, 48, had taken, it was estimated to be around £3,6000 stolen.
Jailing White for ten months, as she sobbed in the dock, a judge told White: “People who pray on elderly and vulnerable victims will go to prison.”
The court heard Mrs Bramall had been cared for by White and her sister for three years and had even treated them to cruises and holidays as thanks, in addition to paying for the care provided.
Speaking about the devastating betrayal of trust, Mrs Bramall said she had been “knocked for six” by what a woman she had trusted had done to her.
Suspicion arose within the family in August last year when Mrs Bramall asked her son, Michael if he was collecting the correct amounts when he cashing her cheques.
Each week he cashed a cheque for between £300 and £400 to allow her to pay her bills and fund her activities; however, Mrs Bramall said she was getting less than the amount written on the cheques.
The family decided to install a secret camera in the kitchen – which later showed White repeatedly stealing from her handbag.
Her other son, Stephen, who lives on the Isle of Man, was only able to view the footage several months later after he collected it to take home to watch and said he felt “physically sick”.
The CCTV shows White taking vast amounts of money between November 16, 2015 and March 19, 2016.
Of her carers, Mrs Bramall said: “I took them on holiday and paid for them to go on two cruises and took them to Morecambe twice as a thank you because I thought they were doing well for me.
“When you see the video, she was straight into the kitchen, straight into my handbag.
“One time she did it three times and she stole form me on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
“It made me feel ill, we had been so generous to her, which is why it hurt.
“She should have got a longer sentence. At least she has the disgrace of going to prison.”
Mrs Bramall added: “It was terrible, it has knocked me for six. I have been really ill.
“I have felt as though I have got a good hiding.”
Stephen described the thefts as “both brazen and systematic”.
He said his mum had been a fundraiser for a local hospice for the last 20 years and had raised almost £100,000/
Stephen said: “It is incredibly sad that a person who has given so much to society should be on the receiving end of such callous behaviour.
“Unfortunately it is likely the CCTV captured only a small number of thefts and because of the refusal of White to acknowledge any incidents not captured then the full extent of her actions will never be known.
“I think it will be very difficult for mum to trust anyone again.”
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