Carer from Letchworth jailed for stealing from patients
A CARER who stole from two elderly women she was supposed to be looking after was jailed for four months yesterday (Thursday).
Paula Hawkins, 46, took �40 from an 89-year-old with Alzheimer’s and �100 from another victim, who has since died of cancer.
St Albans Crown Court heard that Hawkins, who worked for Goldsborough Home Care, had been suspected of taking the �40 from the woman’s home in Waysbrook, Letchworth GC on March 11 last year.
A work colleague had raised the alarm and Hawkins put some money back. No action was taken because it was one person’s word against another.
On September 15 she took �100 from the bag of a terminally ill woman at her home in Woolgrove Road, Hitchin. In a recorded interview with the police the victim gave a clear account of how Hawkins looked after her bag.
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Hawkins, of Hallmead in Letchworth GC, appeared for sentence having been convicted by a jury of two counts of theft.
Defence barrister David Stanton said Hawkins was of previous good character and had an “unblemished record”. He said it would be “wholly pointless” to sent her to Peterborough prison.
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But Judge Stephen Warner disagreed. Jailing Hawkins, he told her: “You took advantage of vulnerable patients.”
The judge praised the work of DC Lee Hill who had carried out the video interview in a sensitive way, adding that the commendation should be conveyed to his superiors.
