Home carer helped herself to elderly Falkirk resident’s cash

A home help was caught on camera stealing cash from her elderly client’s wallet while he was in the shower.
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While working for Rainbow Care Services, Janette Bell (34) helped the man, who has severely limited mobility, and while he was busy, moved into another room and took the opportunity to pinch two twenty pound notes from his wallet.

Her crime may have gone undetected, but the man had installed CCTV cameras in his home and the theft was captured on camera.

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When the 69-year-old man viewed the footage he raised the alarm and Bell was suspended from her work.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Bell had pled guilty to the theft she committed at an address in Merchiston Avenue, Bainsford on August 30 last year.

Procurator fiscal Ann Orr said: “The accused was employed with a private carers firm. One of the persons under her care was at home and she was there to help him get into the shower because he has extremely poor mobility.

“She then left him on his own and went in to the living room and then left. A few hours later he looked in his wallet, that had been in the living room, and saw two twenty pound notes were missing.

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“There is a private CCTV camera in his living room – installed there to offer him protection. He checked back on the CCTV and it showed the accused rummaging in bags and picking up his wallet before taking the money from it.”

Bell was suspended and then dismissed by her employers as a result of the incident.

Murray Aikten, defence solicitor, said: “She is ashamed and mortified she behaved in this way. She has been employed as a carer for a number of years. Things were obviously difficult for her at the time, but that’s no excuse.

“She offered to resign and was dismissed immediately. Trying to find alternative employment in this industry will be impossible for her as a result of this offence.”

Sheriff John Mundy ordered Bell 21 Carron Road, Bainsford, to complete 80 hours unpaid work in four months.