A carer who swiped painkillers and cash from an elderly dementia patient has been caught in the act, after she waited until his sons were out at work to carry out the crime.
Louise Cunningham, from St Helens in Liverpool, was caught out with a secret camera positioned in the room by Willie Wilkinson's sons after they became concerned about missing medication.
Almost a year after the crime on July 4 last year, Cunningham pleaded guilty to burglary at Liverpool Crown Court today.
Prosecutor Christopher Taylor told the court the former carer - who once worked for Care Assured - had been tasked with looking after Mr Wilkinson - who suffered with dementia - while his son's were out at work.
At the end of June, his son Michael realised that some of his co-codamol tablets had gone missing and became suspicious.
He purchased a surveillance camera and linked it to his phone.
On July 5, an alert popped up on his phone showing that there was movement going on in the bedroom.
He checked the footage and saw Cunningham going into Mr Wilkinson's room, pocketing the tablets, rifling through his drawers and swiping £80 from his dad's pension pot.
Video footage played to the court showed Cunningham counting out the notes before stuffing them into her pocket, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Michael said: "This incident has impacted my life more than I realise it would do. We feel very anxious now leaving Dad in other people's care. These are people we should trust. I was always so trusting of Louise, she spoke nicely to my dad, but she was not who I thought she was."
The court heard Cunningham, a 48-year-old grandmother, had been suffering from a painkiller addiction at the time of the offence, and had gone into Michael's room in search of pills.
She told police: "The drugs just overtook me and I think I was just desperate to take it. I think I knew that day I was going to get caught.
"At that moment in time I just needed those tablets, and I think in my head it was just an extra bonus I got the money."
She added: "It's something I've got to live with for the rest of my life now. I've got to live with that."
Miss Smith, defending, said Cunningham had given up taking painkillers following the incident, and was supporting other people with narcotics addictions.
She said: "Not only has she overcome addiction and is working every day, she has also become a peer mentor volunteer."
Addressing Cunningham, Recorder Michael Blakey said: "What you did had an impact on the family. They are now anxious about leaving their father in the care of others. They have lost their trust in people. They are worrying about their father when they leave him alone because they have to work.
"You have problems of your own, which you are now addressing, But there can be no excuses for your behaviour."
He sentenced Cunningham to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered her to carry out 15 rehabilitation days, and 60 hours of unpaid work.
