A CARE home worker who stole £20,000 from one elderly resident and more than £6,000 from another was last night (Thursday, October 8) behind bars.

Alison Robson, of Tailrigg Close, Stockton, was locked up for eight months at Teesside Crown Court after she admitted theft.

Before her arrested, the 51-year-old sent a parcel to her boss with £300 cash, two stolen bank cards and a note saying "sorry".

The court heard how she stole from two elderly residents of the Poplars care home in Thornaby, where she worked in a senior capacity.

She took £6,350 from one man between January 2011 and September 2013, and was was given an 18-month suspended sentence in March 2014.

It then emerged she had withdrawn about £20,000 from a second man’s bank account without his permission around the same time.

She had become close to the man in his 70s, who had lived in the home since 2009, had suffered a stroke and used a wheelchair.

On the day he was due to be interviewed by police, he was taken ill and died a week later in hospital, said prosecutor Joseph Spencer.

Victoria Lamballe, mitigating, said Robson expressed remorse with her note in 2013 and there had been a delay in charging her.

She said there had been “an element of burying her head in the sand” and Robson was “petrified” of going to prison.

Miss Lamballe said Robson had abided by her suspended sentence order from last year, kept out of trouble and got a new job.

The judge, Recorder Felicity Davies, said: “Over the course of those three years you stole from him by using the access you had as his key worker to his bank card to withdraw cash for your own purposes.

“He died at a time when he knew that he’d been cheated by you.

“His trust in you had been misplaced which no doubt gave him great distress and sadness.”

She added: "Whilst it is clear you have moments of guilt about it, equally you prevaricated and refused until the very last moment to face up to your dishonesty.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that this offence is too serious to be sentenced in any other way other than immediate custody.”