Carer caught red-handed stealing £8,000 of jewellery from vulnerable elderly man

Carer caught red-handed stealing £8,000 of jewellery from vulnerable elderly man The 50-year-old woman was caught on hidden cameras rifling through her vulnerable patient's bedroom after his family noticed jewellery was missing from the home A carer was caught red-handed stealing thousands of pounds-worth of jewellery from a vulnerable patient's home. Lara Jones, 50, was discovered stealing the jewellery from the home of the elderly man she was meant to care for after his family became suspicious, and installed CCTV in his home. Jones was arrested on suspicion of burglary, but pleaded not guilty ahead of her trial despite police searching her and finding the stolen jewellery during their investigations. The carer, from Mark Beech in Kent, has now been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of burglary at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, October 9. When Jones had completed her first shift for the client at his home in Oxted, the family noticed that jewellery was missing from the home. They were said to have suspected the new carer but couldn’t be sure, so they set up hidden cameras in the bedroom, reports SurreyLive. By November 26, 2025, the hidden cameras caught Jones entering the bedroom of her client to rifle through the room, before finding and pocketing jewellery worth £8,000. The victim’s daughter called police on Wednesday, December 3 stating that her father was alone at home with his new carer who they had seen on CCTV searching through the bedroom draws and cupboards. Officers attended and arrested Jones on suspicion of burglary. The 50-year-old was then searched and the jewellery was discovered. She pleaded not guilty, and the case went to trial in August where the jury came back with guilty verdicts on three counts of burglary. Jones was sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228 after stealing from her own client. Speaking following the sentencing, the family of the victim said: “Having someone violate your trust in your own home, at a time when you are at your most vulnerable, is devastating. The emotional impact has been profound, and it has made an already difficult situation even harder. "We are immensely grateful to Surrey Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for their dedication, compassion and determination in securing this conviction. Their support throughout has meant a great deal to our family, and we are relieved that justice has been served.” Surrey Police’s Detective Constable Jen Trudel, the officer in charge of the case, added: “The family were so disheartened that someone they let into their home to care for a loved one could be so heartless as to steal from them at the first opportunity. “This has made them wary of letting anyone into their home despite the much-needed respite required. It was an incredibly emotional moment for the family when the sentence was read out, and hopefully this will allow them some closure so that they can move on with their lives."