A trusted cleaner stole priceless heirlooms, cash and jewellery from the homes of her clients to sell on eBay, a court was told.
Mum-of-two Brenda Carberry, 55, was hired by her victims to dust, polish and hoover their houses, but a judge who went on to slam a 'grotesque breach of trust' heard she sneaked into rooms she was told were out of bounds then swiped items to auction off online.
The court heard she was caught out when one woman who found a purse and a designer Ted Baker handbag missing from her bedroom office checked Carberry's personal eBay account - and found them listed for sale there.
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A pensioner with Alzheimer's was another of her victims, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court was told as Carberry was said to have 'succumbed to temptation to support her own financial shortcomings'.
Carberry, of Overton Crescent, Hazel Grove, Stockport, claimed she carried out the thefts to pay for household bills. It is thought she raided five properties in total, in Poynton, Offerton, Hazel Grove and Stockport.
In a statement one elderly victim said it felt like 'a slap in the face' as he was paying Carberry an enhanced wage. He added in the statement: ''The worst thing is that I may have been in the property when she stole my things."
Another victim, Clare Carrier, said: "I am truly upset by this as I trusted her to clean my house." And victim Mark Reeves added: "I am shocked as I allowed her access to my home only for her to abuse that trust."
Carberry was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after she pleaded guilty to five charges of burglary with intent to steal. She was also ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity hours and 80 hours of unpaid work for the community.
Edmund Potts, prosecuting, told the court: "In early February of this year, Clare Carrier contacted a local cleaning services company to clean her house.
''When the defendant attended the address, Carrier instructed her not to enter her bedroom office during her clean, as she had a number of items in there related to her business. The defendant cleaned for her on two separate occasions. On the 23rd of February, Carrier noticed that her coin purse and designer Ted Baker handbag were missing from the bedroom office.
"Her suspicion led her to search for the items on eBay, and she soon found them listed for sale on the defendant's eBay account. Also listed was her stolen perfume and a number of other items belonging to other individuals.
"She was arrested on the 13th of March 2023 and taken to Cheadle custody suite for interview. She admitted to four burglaries of houses she'd cleaned between July 2022 and March 2023, but did not reveal the full extent of her offences.
"After she was released on conditional bail, a Mark Reeves told police that the defendant had also taken £30 in cash from his property. A Ms Featherstone told the defendant the ground floor of her property was out of bounds, but found £40 was also taken."
Mr Potts said a pensioner with Alzheimer's who lives with his wife had £50 stolen from his wallet but due to his condition, 'he initially questioned himself'. "His thoughts were confirmed after the other thefts came to light," he added. The court heard the man's wife also had a gold bracelet and a gold wedding ring stolen.
"The wedding ring had been given to her by her own mother and was of great sentimental value to her," said Mr Potts. "Her daughter found the ring had been sold on the defendant's eBay account. However, it could not be recovered.
"Sarah Stuchfield saw her watch listed on the defendant's eBay account. It had been sold, but the buyer was identified, and the item was recovered.
"Police attended the defendant's address twice after her initial arrest to question her about the new allegations. Each time, she admitted to the further allegations of stolen items and handed over the items, which were stored in her home."
The judge was told Carberry has previous convictions, but had not been before the courts for 11 years.
In mitigation, her counsel Nick Roxborough referenced Carberry's 'difficult family circumstances and mental health struggles' as an explanation for her behaviour, but didn't go into full detail in open court. He added: "She succumbed to temptation to support her own financial shortcomings. She showed remorse and is visibly emotional. She asked me to apologise to the victims, although they might not be happy with it."
Sentencing, judge Recorder Michael Hayton KC told Carberry: "Many of the items taken were hugely sentimental to their owners. One can only imagine how upsetting having a wedding ring being stolen is.
''I understand you did not steal as part of a sophisticated criminal scheme, but rather to pay the household bills. However, this is a grotesque breach of trust. Although these offences pass the custody threshold, I will not be sending you to prison today, in part as a result of the particular personal circumstances you have experienced recently."
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