A carer has been jailed for three years after stealing £8,000 worth of jewellery from a vulnerable elderly man she was employed to care for. Lara Jones, 50, from Mark Beech in Kent, was caught on hidden cameras rifling through her client's bedroom and pocketing the items.
Caught on Hidden Cameras
Jones was arrested on suspicion of burglary after the victim's family installed CCTV in his home when they noticed jewellery was missing following her first shift at his home in Oxted. On November 26, 2025, the cameras captured Jones entering the bedroom, searching through drawers and cupboards, and taking jewellery worth £8,000.
The victim's daughter called police on Wednesday, December 3, stating her father was alone at home with his new carer, who had been seen on CCTV searching through the bedroom. Officers attended and arrested Jones, who was then searched and the stolen jewellery was discovered.
Trial and Sentencing
Jones pleaded not guilty to the charges, but a jury returned guilty verdicts on three counts of burglary following a trial in August. She was sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228 at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, October 9.
Speaking after the sentencing, the victim's family said: "Having someone violate your trust in your own home, at a time when you are at your most vulnerable, is devastating. The emotional impact has been profound, and it has made an already difficult situation even harder."
Police Response
Surrey Police's Detective Constable Jen Trudel, the officer in charge of the case, said: "The family were so disheartened that someone they let into their home to care for a loved one could be so heartless as to steal from them at the first opportunity."
Trudel added that the incident made the family wary of letting anyone into their home despite the respite care they needed, and noted the emotional moment for the family when the sentence was read out, expressing hope that it would bring closure.
