A callous thief who emptied the purse of a frail stroke victim for whom she was caring was caught because the banknotes she had stolen had been marked by police.
Ann McIntyre was caught in the sting because suspicions had already been raised when other items were stolen from the 76-year-old invalid’s home, Perth Sheriff Court heard yesterday.
McIntyre (43), of Logie Crescent, Perth, pled guilty to stealing £30 on October 30 from the woman’s home at Woodland Court, Goshen Road, Scone, while working as a carer for Caledonian Nursing Agency.
Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson said, “In the weeks running up to this various items seemed to be going missing from the house and family enlisted the help of the authorities.
“Banknotes totalling £30 were coated by them in ultra-violet material and placed in (the victim’s) purse. Immediately after a visit to the house by Miss McIntyre the purse was checked and the notes were found to be missing.
“Police officers were in attendance nearby and they stopped Miss McIntyre and the stolen notes were found on her person.”
Solicitor Rosie Scott said her client had fought a decade-long battle with alcohol and had stolen the money because of mounting debts.
She said, “She has let herself down, she’s let her family down and let her employers down. She realises she has upset the lady who will have difficulty trusting anybody coming into her house.
“It was a very, very small amount of money. Her explanation is she saw the money and took it because she was struggling financially. She realises it’s not so much the money but the impact of the breach of trust.”
Sheriff Robert McCreadie branded McIntyre “shameful” and said, “It’s more than stealing money. It’s breaching trust with the people supplying care-it’s a gross breach of trust.”
He deferred sentence until February 11 for her to seek medical advice from her GP.