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Ex-care home worker jailed for Midlands cash thefts

A sacked care home worker who stole cash after preying on former clients and other elderly victims throughout the Midlands has been jailed for four years.

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A sacked care home worker who stole cash after preying on former clients and other elderly victims throughout the Midlands has been jailed for four years.

Callous Catherine Carnduff tricked her way into the homes of women aged 73 to 94 before plundering handbags, wallets and drawers while the victims were distracted, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The married 46-year-old targeted people she had cared for and claimed to be a charity collector for the Deaf Association to con other vulnerable pensioners, revealed prosecutor Miss Rhiannon Jones.

Carnduff struck seven times at addresses in Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Nottingham and Yorkshire, the court was told. Some of those she stole from had even bought dusters and other items from her believing the money would go to charity.

Miss Jones explained: "These were distraction burglaries committed after tric-king her way into the homes of the elderly by claiming to be selling items for charity."

Carnduff, who worked as a carer despite having a previous conviction for obtaining property by deception after trying to use a stolen credit card, lost her job with Nottingham-based Calverton Supreme Home Care amid reports of clients' property going missing, the court heard on Friday.

Then in October she feat-ured in an unrelated police investigation and was on bail in connection with that inquiry when turning to bur- glary and stealing jewellery and almost £1300 worth of cash in a string of offences between February and April, said the prosecutor.

Carnduff used a fake ID card to trick her way into some addresses and sweet talked other victims who included women living in Kingswinford, Finchfield and Penn, where the victim was aged 94.

Carnduff from Gunthorpe Drive, Nottingham, admitted five distraction burglaries and asked for two others to be taken into consideration.

By John Scott

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