Carer caught on camera stealing money from dementia suffering patient in Cornwall
Mother of two, 30-year-old Sophy Retallick was caught on camera stealing money from 83-year-old dementia suffering women in Truro.
The 83-year-old women Ivy started to notice money going missing from her purse she confided in her son who took a thorough check through her receipts and outgoings and noticed things weren’t adding up. After taking a closer interest in money his mother was keeping in her purse he checked the carers logbook and began to see a pattern between money going missing and when Retallick was signing in to care for his mother.
Ivy’s son made the decision to install CCTV in the home. Retallick was caught removing Ivy’s purse from the kitchen windowsill and taking cash out. Another incident showed Retallick with her hand in the women’s handbag.
Retallick was reported to the police, she attended a voluntary interview where she admitted stealing the money. In the interview, she told the police “I wanted to stop but I couldn’t help myself” She claims she couldn’t afford medication she needed because of her employment status and prescription charges.
Retallick appeared at Truro magistrates court where she was given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, 80 hours unpaid work and financial penalties including £250 compensation to the victim, £85 court costs and £110 victim surcharge.
In a statement from Ivy’s son, he’s said”It was an appalling crime, my mother has worked hard all her life and she has little savings. The idea that someone who had access to her house was taking her money was very upsetting to us all. The worst thing is that in the video, the defendant is seen chatting away to my mother while pocketing the cash. We can see the magistrates have taken this really seriously, and it sends a message to those in a position of trust. Most carers do a fantastic job and this woman has brought her profession into disrepute, which the magistrates have recognized.”
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