A care assistant committed a “despicable” act when she stole cash from the purse of an 84-year-old pensioner while visiting to cook dinner for her, a court heard.

Single mother Joanna Schirinzi, aged 23, abused the trust placed in her by taking £10 from the purse of vulnerable Dudley OAP Mary Pugh, magistrates said. Schirinzi was ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work by justices at Dudley Magistrates Court.

After pleading guilty to theft Schirinzi, of Vale Street, Upper Gornal, now faces the sack by her employers Ashton Home Care, based in Parsons Street, Dudley, who today refused to comment. Miss Rachel Brown, prosecuting, told the court Schirinzi often visited Mrs Pugh at her home in Gornal Wood to assist with preparing meals and other duties.

Schirinzi went into the front room of the house after Mrs Pugh followed her into the kitchen during a visit on April 16, Miss Brown told the court.

“When Mrs Pugh came into the front room she noticed Joanna Schirinzi was looking very flustered and that her purse had been moved from its usual place,” Miss Brown said.

A check of the purse revealed £10 had gone missing – and when the pensioner confronted Schirinzi about it she took it out of her pocket and put it on the table.

The court heard £40 had gone missing from Mrs Pugh’s purse just three weeks before, though Schirinzi denied taking that as well after being arrested by police. She was suspended from work straight away.

Sentencing Schirinzi, chairman of the bench Mr Christopher Smith said: “This was a despicable act.  

“You were in a position of trust and you abused that trust on at least one occasion. It was a vulnerable victim, an old age pensioner.

Mr Sukhminder Johal, defending Schirinzi, said his client, who has a six-year-old daughter, was “clearly ashamed” of what she had done.