Spared jail: Bristol carer caught on camera stealing from disabled woman

A CARER who stole money from a disabled woman she was supposed to have been looking after has been spared prison.

Jane Hoy was caught taking cash from Lorraine Andrews' purse on a hidden camera the victim set up in her Westbury-on-Trym home.

But despite describing the offences as "a gross breach of trust targeting a vulnerable victim", Judge Carol Hagen allowed her to walk free from Bristol Crown Court yesterday, imposing a four-month sentence suspended for one year.

It means that if Hoy does not re-offend in the next 12 months, she will not have to serve any time in jail.

Judge Hagen also imposed a six-month supervision requirement, ordered Hoy to carry out 120 hours' unpaid work and pay £125 compensation.

The defendant will also have to pay the £90 it cost Mrs Andrews to install the cameras that eventually caught her.

The Evening Post revealed last month that Hoy, 49 of Braikenridge Road, St Anne's, had pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and four more of attempted theft.

The offences she admitted were carried out between November 29 and December 14 last year, when she worked for Stepping Stones to Independence, a care agency for disabled people.

Mrs Andrews had been using the service since July 2008, with up to eight carers visiting her each day.

Eric Waley, prosecuting, said: "Since August, 2008, she felt she had been losing money from her purse.

"Due to the number of carers who visited her on a daily basis, no one could pinpoint a culprit, but the defendant was one of the eight.

"The complainant went to the expense of installing CCTV.

"On the first four occasions, she (Hoy) can clearly be seen removing monies from the victim's purse and putting it down her trousers.

"On two occasions she could be seen wiping the purse afterwards.

"On four occasions she opened it but did not take any money. She was beginning to smell a rat."

Mrs Andrews found herself unable to pay her bills once the thefts took place, the court heard, leaving her more than £2,000 in arrears.

Hoy initially denied the thefts, even when shown the CCTV footage by police, and has not offered an explanation for her behaviour.

She worked between 12 and 20 hours a week for Stepping Stones at £7.50 an hour, the court was told.

Virginia Cornwall, defending, said: "It is entirely out of character.

"Her family is distraught and dismayed. For £125 she has brought shame upon herself and it would be difficult for her to find employment again.

"She has two children aged 13 and 12, and there has been public vilification of the family as a whole. She cannot give any explanation therefore the court can only see the explanation as greed, which is unattractive.

"She is going to have to live with this for the rest of her life."

Judge Hagen said: "It is difficult to imagine a meaner set of offences – this was a gross breach of trust targeting a vulnerable victim.

"You have lost your good name and you're going to have to live with the shame of that."

Mrs Andrews left the hearing in tears and condemned the non-custodial sentence.

She said: "I am absolutely gobsmacked. She knows what she has done and she was laughing at me. She did not stop to consider how her actions would affect me, so why are her circumstances taken into account?

"I don't think the sentence benefited society, Miss Hoy or me."

Investigating officer DC Helen Shore said: "This was a very serious crime against a vulnerable member of our society.

"Jane Hoy was in a position of trust that was blatantly abused.

"This will cast a shadow over all carers, who do a very difficult job."