Prison for Matlock care worker thief

A care worker was sent down after stealing from an elderly Alzheimer’s patient.

Amanda Alesbrook, 49, of Derby Road, Matlock Bath, was caught on CCTV sneaking money out of the purse of Valerie Gray at her home in Matlock on January 30 this year.

Speaking at Chesterfield magistrates’ court, Rebecca Allsop, prosecuting, said the family of the 80–year–old victim had grown suspicious after they noticed she had less money than they expected.

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She said the victim’s son marked two £20 notes and placed them in his mother’s purse.

Mrs Allsop added: “He set up a camera to record the position of the purse.”

She said these notes were later found in the defendant’s purse.

When questioned by the police, Alesbrook denied she had taken the money, claiming Mrs Gray had given it to her.

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However when she was later shown CCTV footage of herself stealing the money, she admitted the offence.

Mrs Allsop said: “She stated she’d taken the bank notes, she’d put them in her purse and her intention was to possibly pay off her children’s court fines.”

Alesbrook pleaded guilty to the theft of £40 from Mrs Gray.

At the time of the offence, she was the subject of a community order given to her on January 8 this year after being convicted for shoplifting.

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Julie Page, defending, said: “It’s a mean, nasty offence, given the vulnerability of the victim and the degree of trust.”

She said the defendant had worked for Chesterfield–based firm Care Relief Team for almost eight years with an ‘unblemished record’, however has since been fired from her job.

“She really can offer no explanation as to why on this occasion she took the money,” Ms Page said.

“We are talking about a lady who seems to have gone off the rails of late.

“She’s clearly a lady who doesn’t shy away from hard work.

“I think she’s disappointed in herself.”

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Alesbrook claimed to be suffering from depression and said she was a full time carer for her 19–year–old son, who suffers from drug–related problems.

She was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison.

Passing sentence, magistrate David Sobczak said: “The most vulnerable people in our society deserve our protection and exploiting that vulnerability must be punished.

“The victim was 80 and extremely vulnerable.

“You were in a position of trust and in the victim’s home.”

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