Former Inverness care worker to repay £4000 stolen from elderly client at Cheshire House care home
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A care worker stole cash from a client at an Inverness care home to pay for her own shopping a court has heard.
Shirley Cameron (55) previously admitted forming a fraudulent scheme to obtain goods by fraud and theft between February 1, 2017 and July 17, 2019.
She had been warned at Inverness Sheriff Court she could face jail if the cash was not reimbursed.
Sentence had previously been deferred for background reports and to find out how Cameron intended to make restitution.
Solicitor Sarah-Jane McFarlane told the court this week that Cameron, of Highfield Avenue, Inverness, was now in full-time employment as a housekeeper and family members have offered to loan her the money to make repayment.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson continued deferral of sentence until December 4 to allow the cash to be repaid.
Earlier the court had heard how Cameron used the woman’s bank details for nearly two years to buy her own shopping online.
Mrs McFarlane had asked Sheriff Neilson not to jail first offender Cameron, who she said was deeply ashamed of what she had done.
She said Cameron’s financial position was at the route of her offending and the conviction meant she could no longer find work in the care sector.
Sheriff Neilson described the offence as “a gross breach of trust”.
The court had been told that the victim was a 76-year-old woman with learning disabilities who had been resident at the Cheshire House care home in Ness Walk, Inverness for more than 20 years. Cameron had been her key worker.
The theft came to light when other staff at the home tried to assist in getting the resident her weekly shopping after Cameron left to work at another care home.
Cameron admitted forming a fraudulent scheme to obtain goods by pretending to Tesco at Eastfield Way, Inverness that she was authorised to purchase goods using the bank details of a resident of the Cheshire House care home where she was employed as a care practitioner.
Cameron admitted obtaining goods to the value of £3919.95 by fraud and theft over a period of just over two years.
