A bank director caught his elderly mother’s carer stealing £8,000 worth of Cartier jewellery, perfume, cash and even chocolates after installing secret cameras around the 82-year-old’s home.
Caroline Bastable, 42, was paid to look after Sheila Wade, who suffers from breathing problems and vascular dementia, at her home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
But instead, Bastable snacked on her patient’s chocolate biscuits, helped herself to the woman’s perfume, and pocketed valuable Cartier and Swarovski jewellery.
The appalling theft was discovered when Ms Wade’s suspicious son installed a network of secret cameras to monitor the carer’s actions over a two-week period.
Police investigating the case watched 12 days of CCTV footage on discs containing 8,000 video files to collect evidence of theft and uncovered signs of neglect.
Sheila Wade, 82, suffers from dementia and requires daily care. But instead of receiving the help her bank director son paid for, she was robbed of expensive jewellery, perfume and food
Caroline Bastable (pictured left, following her arrest), 42, was paid to look after Sheila Wade (pictured right), who suffers from breathing problems and vascular dementia, at the vulnerable 82-year-old’s home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Caught in the act: Bastable snacked on her patient’s chocolate biscuits, helped herself to the woman’s perfume, and pocketed valuable Cartier and Swarovski jewellery (pictured above)
The bank director was horrified to uncover footage of heartless Bastable pocketing a watch from the fireplace as his mother slept on the couch in front of her.
Another clip shows Bastable pulling gift boxes of perfume and toiletries from Ms Wade’s wardrobe in her bedroom, before a second clip shows her carrying them to her car.
A clip from the kitchen reveals Bastable raiding Ms Wade’s kitchen cupboards and stuffing snacks, chocolates and boxes of biscuits into a bag.
John said: ‘I started noticing money that I’d given mum for shopping was missing, and then food was going, and cigarettes.
The appalling theft was discovered when Ms Wade’s suspicious son installed a network of secret cameras to monitor the carer’s actions over a two-week period (Mr Wade is pictured with his wife Kristina)
Ms Wade’s family claim the incidents began in November 2017, when items such as food and milk began to disappear from the victim’s home. A family friend then noticed cash, which had been hidden around the house, was missing
‘The real red flag was when I dropped off three pints of milk at her house before I went on holiday, and the neighbour contacted me two days later to say they had disappeared.
‘I installed home security cameras and watching the footage back, you could clearly see mum’s carer pocketing cash, jewellery and perfume as mum slept on the couch.
‘I felt so angry watching this woman raiding Mum’s drawers and cupboards for gift sets of toiletries, stealing her Swarovski jewellery and Cartier watches.
‘Thankfully, we have all of mum’s designer handbags at our home, but Bastable still got away with about £8,000 worth of stuff.’
Ms Wade’s family claim the incidents began in November 2017, when items such as food and milk began to disappear from the victim’s home.
As well as the clips showing her pocketing jewellery and bagging up gifts, another shows her squirting medication from a syringe before disappearing out of sight. She then re-emerged and left the property without giving Ms Wade the injection
Police investigating the case watched 12 days of CCTV footage on discs containing 8,000 video files to collect evidence of theft and uncovered signs of neglect
A family friend then noticed cash, which had been hidden around the house, was missing.
A large quantity of cigarettes, hidden at the back of a cupboard, had also been taken which led to the victim’s son installing the CCTV that December.
As well as the clips showing her pocketing jewellery and bagging up gifts, another shows her squirting medication from a syringe before disappearing out of sight.
She then re-emerged and left the property without giving Ms Wade the injection.
Ms Wade’s medication is to treat her vascular dementia and her breathing problems, and her son said he received calls from his mother in the middle of the night when she ‘couldn’t breathe’.
Bastable appeared at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court on November 19 2019 where she pleaded guilty to wilful neglect and two counts of theft. John has since stopped using the company which employed Bastable and Ms Wade now has new carers
Police arrested Bastable on 17 December 2017 and searched her home where they found stolen items belonging to her victim, including cash, cigarettes, jewellery and toiletries.
John said: ‘The only comfort that I have in this is that at least my mother was completely unaware this was happening, otherwise it would have really upset her.
‘I watched the footage and saw Bastable drinking and eating mum’s food and I wanted to report it then, but I decided to wait because I was convinced she’d been stealing money and possessions as well.
‘That was really hard – I just wanted to stop her as soon as I saw it, but I knew I needed proof that it wasn’t just food that was being taken and proof is exactly what I got.
Sheila Wade (left) pictured in happier times with her daughter in law Kristina and grandson Anthony
Bastable appeared at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court on November 19 2019 where she pleaded guilty to wilful neglect and two counts of theft. John has since stopped using the company which employed Bastable and Ms Wade now has new carers
‘Emotion does try to take over, you want to react and stop it on your own terms, but I forced myself to stay patient so that I could ensure Bastable got the punishment she deserved.
‘I knew I had to do that not just for my mum, but for the other people who were under her care – this could have been happening to anybody.
‘My suspicions that my mum wasn’t her only victim felt justified when police brought us jewellery they had found in Bastable’s house that they thought was mum’s but it wasn’t.’
Bastable appeared at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court on November 19 2019 where she pleaded guilty to wilful neglect and two counts of theft.
She will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on 28 February 2020.
John has since stopped using the company which employed Bastable and Ms Wade now has new carers.