A painter and decorator who stole cash, jewellery and silverware from customers has been jailed for two years and eight months.
36 year old Helen McCormack from Cowleaze Lane, Edington, near Westbury pleaded guilty to four burglaries and nine thefts over an 18 month period and asked for four more matters to be taken into consideration. She also admitted breaching a suspended sentence imposed for three other burglaries.
Miss McCormack committed the offences whilst completing work at customer’s homes, many of whom were elderly, and is believed to have stolen a total of around £20,000 worth of both jewellery and cash.
One of her victims, a 93-year-old woman from Westbury, lost £4,000 worth of cash and items of silverware, some of which had been handed down from her grandmother.
Detective Constable Nicky Caffrey from the Priority Crime Team in Melksham said, “These cases went beyond just theft; they were a shameless abuse of trust.
“As our enquiries began it quickly became clear that this was not just a one off, not just a misguided or ill-judged act but a conscious and deliberate one that was repeated over and over.
“The victims have not just lost sums of money or pieces of jewellery, they’ve had their personal space invaded, lost special and irreplaceable items and in many cases have been left feeling scared in their own home.
“I must thank those victims involved, all of whom have played such an important role in helping us reach this result.”
