Care worker stole wedding ring to buy presents

A former care worker who stole an elderly woman's wedding ring and sold it to pay for Christmas presents has been jailed.

Amy Bassett, 33, of St George's Road in Keynsham, targeted "exceptionally vulnerable" elderly women in her care from January to December 2024, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Bassett stole both the wedding and engagement rings of one woman with dementia who was a resident at a care home in Bath and North East Somerset, police said. She removed the rings without the woman's consent and sold them to a pawnbroker.

Bassett was jailed for four years and four months at Bristol Crown Court on 6 November after she admitted dwelling theft and fraud by false representation.

"The offences... were committed against elderly females suffering from severe dementia who required significant levels of care and support," a police statement said.

PC Samantha Nation, the investigating officer in the case, said Bassett "exploited their age, medical conditions and reliance on others in order to commit fraud and theft for personal financial gain".

Police said Bassett also tried to pay in a fraudulent cheque for a large amount of money from a 100-year-old woman she cared for but the bank stopped the cheque before the money was transferred.

Bassett had also fraudulently opened a credit card account in the woman's name with repayments being taken from the victim's personal bank account, leading to a substantial financial loss, police said.

"This was a lengthy and complex investigation that uncovered a persistent pattern of offending against some of the most vulnerable members of our community," Nation said.

"These offences were made all the more serious by the abuse of trust involved and the deliberate targeting of individuals who were unable to protect themselves.

"I hope this conviction sends a clear message that those who seek to exploit vulnerable people, particularly elderly individuals who depend upon others for their care and wellbeing, will be thoroughly investigated and held accountable for their actions."

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