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Care boss theft shame
THIS 'mean' care home manager has been locked up for three years - after abusing her position to steal jewellery and cash from elderly residents' houses.
Lesley Adaway, aged 40, got hold of keys to properties belonging to pensioners convalescing at Highfield Grange nursing home in Wombwell, Barnsley.
She copied their postcodes from the care home records, used a sat nav to find her way to the addresses, then wore latex gloves and dark clothing in a bid to prevent herself being caught.
Once inside Adaway, of Jones Street, Wombwell, stole jewellery worth up to 6,000 and cash totalling 1,200.
On one occasion she even pinched items while the owner of the house - Patricia Wall, from Intake Lane, Barnsley - was inside with her. Derek Cook, prosecuting, said Adaway had offered to go with Mrs Wall to the address to help arrange the repair of a door, but took rings and a watch from drawers when the old lady wasn't looking.
She pleaded guilty to theft and three counts of burglary, and asked for three further burglaries and 14 attempted burglaries to be taken into account too.
Sheffield Crown Court heard Adaway broke into 83-year-old Winifred Gledhill's house in Eastfields, Worsbrough, while she was in hospital, and stole items from the home on Caistor Avenue, Kingstone, of Joyce Wood, in her 70s.
She was caught when a neighbour heard her forcing entry into Hilda Blackburn's house in Brierfield Close, Barnsley, because she had forgotten the key.
Mr Cook said Adaway was found by police crouching in the porch. When they searched her home they found a stash of stolen jewellery inside a basket in her kitchen.
Andrew Smith, defending, admitted the offences amounted to a "gross breach of trust" but said they had not been carried out to fund a luxury lifestyle.
"There were a number of factors going on in her life which led her to take this escapist and bizarre route," he said.
But Judge Simon Lawler QC told Adaway: "These offences were pre-medidated, well-planned, and of course mean, involving a substantial breach of trust."
After the hearing a CPS spokeswoman said: "The victims were entitled to trust care home staff to look after them. This has been distressing for the victims and their families and we hope the outcome will bring some comfort."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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