News, sport and entertainment from the Bournemouth Echo and Dorset Echo.

Care worker jailed for theft

From the Echo, first published Wednesday 12th Dec 2001.

A CROOKED care worker who preyed on the elderly has been jailed for 21 months after stealing from two pensioners.

Sheryl House, 23, conned one of her victims by pretending she was still working for a Dorchester home care agency after they fired her.

Sentencing, Recorder Alistair Malcolm QC said: "These are very serious offences committed against elderly people you were caring for.

"The victims in these cases were very vulnerable, often not very well and often confused, which makes an offence of this kind easy to commit and very difficult to bring to police attention. You undermined the independence of elderly people trying to live happily on their own."

House, from Dewlish, near Dorchester, admitted carrying out two thefts while on bail for a string of other offences, which included swindling £8,500 from friends and two elderly women in rest homes.

Her lawyer, Catherine Baksi, claimed that all the offences were a `manifestation of grief' after her younger brother died in a car crash in 1999.

Prosecuting, Timothy Mousley said House was employed as a carer by Dorchester firm Agincare from April 11 to June 1 this year.

He told Dorchester Crown Court that on April 17 she visited Laurence Cotton, an elderly man who has since died, at his home in Cheselbourne.

Mr Mousley said: "Mr Cotton went to have lunch with his daughter and returned home at about 3.30pm. At 8pm, he telephoned his daughter, who searched her car to see if there was any sign of her father's wallet.

"She then went to his house and searched there, but there was no sign of it."

House had visited Mr Cotton between 6pm and 7pm and his wallet was later found in her bedroom cupboard. Mr Cotton estimated it contained around £100 cash.

The second victim was 76-year-old William Strickley, whose wife was in hospital when House visited him wearing her Agincare uniform the day after she lost her job with the firm.

Mr Mousley said that House spent just 10 minutes at the Strickley's home in Old Barn Road, Bere Regis, while Mr Strickley was gardening. He later discovered his wallet, which contained about £200 cash, was missing.

When first quizzed by police, House denied the thefts but made full admissions later.

Miss Baski, representing House, said she had served four months for her previous convictions and `desperately wanted' her freedom, though she knew `her hopes of a nursing career' were finished.

Miss Baski asked for a suspended sentence, but Recorder Malcolm disagreed and sent House to jail.

He also ordered that £95 found on House when she was arrested be paid to Mr Strickley as compensation.

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