Community order for carer who stole from pensioners

Mother-of-three Bridget Eardley, 56, stole an antique silver toast rack worth £350 from an 80-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer’s kitchen, Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard. Eardley also took a £375 coat from a partially-sighted 87-year-old man’s home and later said she threw it away “in a panic” because her dog had urinated on it.

Eardley, of Micklethwaite Grove, Wetherby, was working as a carer for Boston Spa-based Grayson Home Care Ltd when she stole from the pensioners.

The court heard the offences happened in October and December 2013 when Eardley had been drinking heavily and was depressed after she and her hospital consultant husband had divorced. Eardley, who admitted two charges of theft, was sentenced to a 12-month community order plus 200 hours unpaid work. And she was ordered to pay a total of £725 compensation.

Surbjit Toor, of West Yorkshire Probation Service, told the court Eardley told him one pensioner she was caring for liked dogs so she took her dog to see him, but it urinated on the man’s coat and she took for recycling.

Mr Toor said she was drinking quite heavily at the time. He said: “She says she was a Sunday school teacher for 15 years and is involved with the church. She is very regretful and remorseful these offences took place.”

After the case, Mark Grayson of Grayson Home Care said he was “deeply saddened that this has happened” but was thankful that Eardley had been brought to justice.