‘Wicked’ former Northampton carer avoids jail after stealing over £30,000 from elderly residents

A former care worker has been handed a suspended prison sentence after stealing a total of over £30,000 from elderly residents she was paid to look after.

Carina James, aged 42, of Pleydell Gardens, worked as a carer when she targeted four people between September 2, 2021 and October 21, 2021. Three of them were residents whom she was entrusted to care for.

James appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday, March 1 after pleading guilty to four counts of theft.

She stole £20,470 from a male resident; £2,131 from a female resident; £3,416 from another female resident as well as a further £3,416 from the same resident’s joint bank account with her husband.

Gary Short, prosecuting, said an investigation was launched when the husband noticed money going missing from the joint bank account and notified his wife’s care provider. James was subsequently arrested.

The husband, in a statement, said: “I feel absolutely physically and mentally knackered with what we have gone through.”

He is still paying off his wife’s credit card bill, the court heard.

The husband added: “I feel like I’ve had the wind knocked out of my sails.”

Nicholas Wells, in mitigation, said that James underwent a “serious operation” in the hospital around the time of the thefts.

The operation had a seven month recovery time so James was worried about the loss of income resulting from being on sick pay and not being able to provide for her family, the court heard.

Mr Wells said that the card payments were all made in convenience stores and Uber Eats to pay for food in addition to paying rent on her house and she has no record of ever committing dishonesty offences.

The defence barrister added: “She is a caring person and that does come out.”

His Honour Judge Mayo DL, sentencing, said: “It is selfish whatever your mental state was. Stealing from people who relied on you to help look after them in care was wicked.”

James was sentenced to 27 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.

She was ordered to undertake a six month mental health treatment requirement, attend 13 rehabilitation requirement days and adhere to a four month curfew.