A home help stole £15,000 from her elderly employer to pay her own debts.
Teresa Brown, of Howden Road, Jedburgh, was originally charged with stealing £60,000 from the 68-year-old, but pled guilty to an amended sum of £15,000.
The 44-year-old first offender appeared on indictment and admitted stealing the money while working as a cleaner for the man at his Kirk Yetholm home between October 2011 and August 2012.
At a previous hearing at Selkirk Sheriff Court, prosecutor Tessa Bradley said the man’s wife suffered a brain injury and required a carer, who recommended the accused as a home help.
In 2011 the man inherited “a reasonably substantial legacy. He had funds, but wasn’t in the habit of regularly looking at them,” explained Ms Bradley, adding: “He has mobility issues and the village does not have an ATM.”
Ms Bradley said the man used a Switch card to pay most things.
“In 2011, his partner was taken into care, so the carer stopped visiting on a daily basis. He was fending for himself and she suggested he hire a home help and suggested the accused who she knew as someone well trusted in the village,” continued Ms Bradley.
The man hired Brown as a cleaner and, shortly after she began working for him, asked her to get him some shopping as she also had a part-time job in Sainsbury’s.
“He gave her his bank card and PIN number, and would get the card back the same day, with the items he had asked for. He also told her to take money out for her cleaning work, and stipulated the amount,” explained Ms Bradley.
When his partner returned home in July 2012, the carer resumed her work.
In August, the woman told the carer she thought the accused had taken money, and they looked for bank statements.
The prosecutor went on: “They believed the accused had thrown them out during her cleaning duties, but they found one which showed a £300 withdrawal over three consecutive days. They also noticed two transactions at Sainsbury’s – one for £40 and another for £115.”
The man believed the £40 could have been for shopping, but £115 was far more than he would ever have spent.
“He became upset and told the carer it must have been the accused, before calling the bank and cancelling his card, and contacting the police.,” said Ms Bradley.
Further investigation of bank statements revealed a substantial sum of money missing.
Ms Bradley said the bank would not reimburse the man as he had volunteered his card and PIN number.
Defending, Ed Hulme reserved his plea in mitigation until reports had been prepared, adding: “She had accumulated a number of debts and was using the card to pay for her own weekly shopping.”
Brown was due to be sentenced at Jedburgh Sheriff Court last Friday, but a previously-ordered criminal justice report was not available, so sentence was further deferred until June 6.